umbrage

Meanings

1. 1noununcountableformal

   A feeling of being insulted or annoyed because of something someone said or did.

   Grammar: Uncountable and mostly used in the phrase take umbrage at something.

   Patterns

   • take umbrage at something
   • give umbrage

   She took umbrage at the suggestion that she was late.

   He took umbrage when the critic mocked his work.

   The senator took great umbrage at the remark.

2. 2noununcountableliteraryarchaic

   Shade or shadow, especially under trees.

   Grammar: Rare and poetic: the umbrage of the oaks.

   They rested in the umbrage of the old elm.

   Cool umbrage beneath the willows made the walk bearable.

Common combinations

take umbrage

Many viewers took umbrage when the show was cancelled.

take umbrage at

He took umbrage at her tone.

deep umbrage

The ambassador expressed deep umbrage.

give umbrage

The remark gave umbrage to many fans.

express umbrage

The company expressed umbrage over the article.

Synonyms and how they differ

offense

Offense is more common and wider, while umbrage is a formal, slightly old-fashioned word for being offended.

resentment

Resentment is a longer-lasting bitterness, whereas umbrage is a quick reaction to a slight.

indignation

Indignation is anger at unfairness, while umbrage focuses on feeling personally insulted.

Opposites

Word family

umbrageous adjective

shady, or easily offended

umbra noun

the darkest part of a shadow

umbrella noun

a shade for protection from rain or sun, from the same Latin root

Commonly confused: umbrage or umbrella?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “umbrage”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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