zornig

Definition & meaning

zornig is an adjective meaning angry, furious, or wrathful. It describes a person who feels or expresses strong anger, often because of an injustice, insult, or frustrating situation.

• Er ist zornig auf seinen Bruder. — He is angry with his brother.
• Sie war zornig über die Entscheidung. — She was furious about the decision.

Compared with the more common adjective wütend ↗, zornig ↗ can sound somewhat more formal, literary, or morally serious.

Grammar & Word origin

zornig is an adjective.

• Attributive: ein zorniger Mann — an angry man
• Predicative: Der Mann ist zornig. — The man is angry
• Adverbial: Er antwortete zornig. — He answered angrily

It is formed from the noun der Zorn ↗, meaning “anger” or “wrath,” with the adjective-forming suffix -ig ↗, meaning “having” or “characterized by.”

The comparative forms are:

• zorniger — angrier
• am zornigsten — angriest

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

• wütend ↗ — angry or furious; usually more common and emotionally intense in everyday speech
• ärgerlich ↗ — annoyed or irritated; generally weaker than zornig
• aufgebracht ↗ — upset and agitated, often visibly emotional
• erbost ↗ — indignant or extremely angry; somewhat formal
• zornig ↗ — strongly angry, often with a serious or morally indignant tone

Antonyms

• ruhig ↗ — calm
• gelassen ↗ — composed and untroubled
• friedlich ↗ — peaceful
• zufrieden ↗ — content or satisfied

Common phrases & collocations

• zornig sein ↗ — to be angry
• zornig werden ↗ — to become angry
• zornig auf jemanden sein ↗ — to be angry with someone
• zornig über etwas sein ↗ — to be angry about something
• ein zorniger Blick ↗ — an angry look
• eine zornige Stimme ↗ — an angry voice