Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Offense or resentment.
  • noun Shadow or shade.
  • noun Trees or foliage affording shade.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Shade; a shadow; obscurity.
  • noun That which affords a shade; specifically, a screen of trees or foliage.
  • noun A slight appearance; an apparition; a shade.
  • noun The feeling of being overshadowed, as by another standing in one's light or way; hence, suspicion of slight or injury; offense; resentment.
  • noun Synonyms See pique and animosity.
  • To shade.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Shade; shadow; obscurity; hence, that which affords a shade, as a screen of trees or foliage.
  • noun obsolete Shadowy resemblance; shadow.
  • noun The feeling of being overshadowed; jealousy of another, as standing in one's light or way; hence, suspicion of injury or wrong; offense; resentment.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Feeling of anger or annoyance caused by something offensive.
  • noun Feeling of doubt.
  • noun Leaves that provide shade, as the foliage of trees
  • noun obsolete shadow, shade
  • verb transitive To displease or cause offense.
  • verb transitive To shade.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a feeling of anger caused by being offended

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, shade, from Old French, from Latin umbrāticum, neuter of umbrāticus, of shade, from umbra, shadow.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin umbrāticus ("in the shade"), from umbra ("shadow", "shade")

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Examples

  • -- The same base stratagem for annoying those against whom they have taken an umbrage is practiced still by choking the wells with sand or stones, or defiling them with putrid carcases.

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • A lot of people have gotten to the step of being emotionally invested in umbrage and are displacing the hostility of feeling like one is being deliberately ignored by those in power against the democratic party and even if the leaders wanted to throw some red meat to placate them and tell them they are heard, Presidents Lieberman and Nelson will take the opportunity to essentially speak for the Democratic Party and publicly try and ruin it for the sake of pissing on said base and thus retaining the love of the current media environment.

    Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » Beatings will continue until morale improves 2010

  • Caribbean countries said they took "umbrage" and wanted to "put on record" their strong disapproval.

    Joe Amon: The Beginning of the End for the War on Drugs? Joe Amon 2010

  • More and more, when politicians talk about government employees - whether they are federal, state or local- it is with the kind of umbrage ordinarily aimed at Wall Street financiers and convenience store bandits.

    Government workers under political fire Karen Tumulty 2010

  • Caribbean countries said they took "umbrage" and wanted to "put on record" their strong disapproval.

    Joe Amon: The Beginning of the End for the War on Drugs? Joe Amon 2010

  • Caribbean countries said they took "umbrage" and wanted to "put on record" their strong disapproval.

    Joe Amon: The Beginning of the End for the War on Drugs? Joe Amon 2010

  • More and more, when politicians talk about government employees -- whether they are federal, state or local -- it is with the kind of umbrage ordinarily aimed at Wall Street financiers and convenience store bandits.

    Rep. Gerry Connolly on government workers under political fire Ed O 2010

  • • Government workers under political fire: More and more, when politicians talk about government employees - whether they are federal, state or local- it is with the kind of umbrage ordinarily aimed at Wall Street financiers and convenience store bandits.

    Obama orders new federal breastfeeding policy Ed O 2010

  • More and more, when politicians talk about government employees -- whether they are federal, state or local -- it is with the kind of umbrage ordinarily aimed at Wall Street financiers and convenience store bandits.

    Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly on government workers under political fire Ed O 2010

  • More and more, when politicians talk about government employees - whether they are federal, state or local - it is with the kind of umbrage ordinarily aimed at Wall Street financiers and convenience store bandits.

    Public servants feel sting of budget rancor Karen Tumulty 2010

Comments

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  • "Rarely has it been thought that the way to show you deserve to be the most powerful person on earth is to demonstrate you're also the touchiest. This presidential campaign has been an offense fest. From the indignation over a fashion writer's observation about Hillary Clinton's cleavage, to the outraged response to the infamous Obama New Yorker cover, to the histrionics over "lipstick on a pig," taking offense has been a political leitmotif. Slate's John Dickerson observed that umbrage is this year's hottest campaign tactic. And we can assume it will reach an operatic crescendo in these final weeks before Election Day."

    Emily Yoffe in Slate

    October 20, 2008

  • I take umbrage at seeing this written umbridge, which happens disappointingly often. One columnist I know of does it regularly.

    October 20, 2008

  • Is it all post-Harry Potter, or did you observe the misspelling before that thoroughly odious woman arrived on the scene? (Miss Umbridge, that is, not Ms Rowling.)

    October 20, 2008

  • 'Snot the 'Tiser is it, pleth?

    October 20, 2008

  • I'm not sure I knew the word pre-Harry Potter, to be honest. I was but 12 when Dolores made her debut.

    The one and only, bilb. What a rag.

    October 20, 2008

  • Should we be happy that JKR reinvigorated this word, or be appalled that as a result no-one can spell it?

    October 20, 2008

  • Oh happy, I think. Better to get people using a word. Spelling is easily fixed; even Microsoft can do it. Although apparently not South Australian(?) sub-editors.

    October 20, 2008

  • I always think the Archers should live here.

    January 10, 2009

  • Umbrage has an official website. (Thanks to ptero for linking it to rufkm.)

    February 26, 2009

  • You're welcome! And let me just mention marathon of phony umbrage taking, a triumph of the Wordie art and one of my favorite pages on the site.

    February 26, 2009

  • For even more fun, also see fufluns and Hershey. Also, rufkm. No, I'm serious.

    March 16, 2009

  • There needs to be a list, or tags to record the many locations of our umbrage-taking.

    March 16, 2009

  • Shsh, it's still brewing.

    March 16, 2009

  • I'd add a tag, but I probably shouldn't. Perhaps reesetee can be in charge of umbrage tags.

    March 16, 2009

  • I take umbrage at that, c_b.

    *too tired to be energetic about umbrage-taking*

    See "umbrage alert" tag.

    March 16, 2009

  • Oh sure, take all the umbrage! Don't leave any for us!

    March 28, 2009

  • I took umbrage the other day after someone made a pun about "shady comments". I was very pleased with myself.

    April 21, 2009

  • Congratulations. The important thing is that it was completely phony.

    April 21, 2009

  • Was it also a marathon?

    April 21, 2009

  • 1 year later: I'd like to point out that JKR has, to a certain extent, destroyed this word among the younger generation. You can make a perfectly decent, if not forceful, statement or complaint: "I take umbrage etc..." and your audience will roll on the floor laughing because they have an image of you taking Professor Umbridge.

    Of course it depends on the general age and maturity of your audience, but it annoys me rather a bit.

    December 1, 2009

  • What or who is JKR, PotentiallyEmphatic?

    December 1, 2009

  • JK Rowling, Potter series authoress.

    December 1, 2009

  • Ta, Bil.

    December 1, 2009

  • YES -- and even completely innocent people, when told to "look up umbrage", will spell it a la the Potteress. MDJRKL!

    December 2, 2009

  • Shapes take umbrage.

    December 7, 2009

  • Vegas takes umbrage???

    Wha.... gimme ten on umbrage to win.

    February 3, 2010

  • I'll see your ten and I'll raise you 20 umbrage.

    February 3, 2010

  • Call.

    February 3, 2010

  • Call.

    February 3, 2010

  • Read 'em and weep. A royal umbrage.

    *smirks and twirls invisible mustache*

    February 4, 2010

  • Noooooo!Straight umbrage for me.

    And on that matter, I may deal out some extra umbrage for all the other losers.

    February 4, 2010

  • I take umbrage at being called a loser.

    February 4, 2010

  • I take umbrage at your umbrage and failure to accept the blatant truth. Dontcry won and that's the end of all of us.

    Another round anyone?

    February 4, 2010

  • I'll take umbrage and two cards, please.

    February 4, 2010

  • *deals*

    And one for me, extra umbrage.

    February 4, 2010

  • Give me two umbrage.

    February 5, 2010

  • I'll take one umbrage, please.

    February 5, 2010

  • Pass the peanuts.

    February 5, 2010

  • Umbrage with fried onions please, and hold the relish.

    February 5, 2010

  • I relish a good game of five-card umbrage. Who's in?

    February 5, 2010

  • *deals* Nothing beats five-card umbrage. *deals*

    Ok. Out of peanuts, and we've never had fried onions (boohoo!). Sorry. But we do have plenty of fufluns. In fact, we have fufluns in such abundance, you make take them at will. Enjoy.

    February 5, 2010

  • I can't stand fufluns. He or she is by far my least favourite Etruscan deity.

    What did the Etruscans ever do for us, anyway?

    February 5, 2010

  • I'll bet you think this song is about you, don't you, don't you?

    February 5, 2010

  • Deal me in, dontcry.

    Any of those fufluns with umbrage topping left?

    February 6, 2010

  • Umbrage! I wanted my fufluns with grape riffles.

    January 29, 2011

  • "'In the meantime, to finish our conversation, whoever stuffed the corpse in the closet meant to saddle Alcide with the blame, since Jerry Falcon had made a blatant pass at Sookie in the bar the night before, and Alcide had taken umbrage.'" -Club Dead, by Charlaine Harris

    February 5, 2011

  • We'll hae nae crinkie-winkie to-day, thank you.

    June 1, 2011

  • Hey! Who won the last hand?

    June 30, 2011

  • I'm taking me some umbrage over a gratuitous drive-by snark by yarb a few days back, where he made a comment along these lines:

    "Wrong, sionnach, and not for the first time, either" (my emphasis).

    Was it really necessary to add that last part, smarty mac yarbles? Huh?

    July 1, 2011

  • But one learns from one's mistakes, n'est-ce pas, mon amie? By alluding to your extensive learning, I was paying you a compliment - so pray return that umbrage, which I believe was withdrawn from the fell swoop page.

    July 1, 2011

  • By alluding to your extensive learning, I was paying you a compliment

    Pretty words, which might be considered extenuating, if they were true . But it is a simple matter to check their patent falsity. They butter no parsnips with me.

    I'm holding on to this fine dollop of umbrage*.

    Smiley-face. LOL

    *: which is, of course, entirely phony. Because it's been a long time since we've had a good marathon of phony umbrage taking

    July 1, 2011

  • Were they true, they were highly extenuating, and were they a lie, they they but a mediocre sally - so of course they were heartily well meant.

    Your parsnips are not, thank God!, my responsibility. But I will do you the courtesy of my advice: smother the buggers in lard, basted with your own umbrage, and consume without compunction.

    July 1, 2011

  • Umbrage! No one has answered my question about the last hand.

    July 1, 2011

  • Brackets on "butter no parsnips with me", please! Ha, ha, ha!

    July 1, 2011

  • Ruzuzu, I just took a heaping helping of umbrage over on Real Hernesheir's profile page, so I'm in the lead until someone takes umbrage at my umbrage-taking.

    July 1, 2011

  • Goodness, sionnach's comment is in a larger font. What does this mean? Is it because the cloud he is sitting on is larger? Is he raising his voice but not yelling? Or is his voice bloated from scarfing the umbrage (with parsnips)?

    July 1, 2011

  • I've been seeing that big, weird font all over Wordnik since the new design rollout. Maybe it's sionnach's doing....

    July 1, 2011

  • I take umbrage at reesetee's umbrage-taking. Ha!

    August 2, 2011

  • Give it back, you umbrage thief!

    August 8, 2011

  • Never!

    August 8, 2011

  • *swipe*

    A-ha! I have it!

    *flees*

    August 8, 2011

  • Umbrage!

    *takes up the chase*

    August 9, 2011

  • *spontaneously materializes in reesetee's path, who runs into me, dropping umbrage all over the ground*

    Mwa, ha, ha, ha, ha!

    August 14, 2011

  • This is most irregular. I seem to have obstructed his umbrage pilfering!

    August 14, 2011

  • I take umbrage.

    *yoink*

    August 15, 2011

  • Oh, you'd think so, wouldn't you, asylumhead? Fortunately, I always travel with my Super 2000 Umbrage Sweeper.

    *sweeps up umbrage*

    *flees*

    August 15, 2011

  • *has secreted some emergency umbrage under the porch*

    August 16, 2011

  • You ought not to have told me the whereabouts of your emergency umbrage! I took umbrage because you were saving it for yourself. Luckily for you, I coud only carry half of it, and you still have some left.

    August 16, 2011

  • *hides Umbrage Sweeper*

    August 16, 2011

  • *sneaks over to porch*

    *takes umbrage*

    *replaces it with fufluns*

    *leaves telltale trail of sprinkles*

    August 16, 2011

  • Eeew! Dontcry, can you really secrete umbrage?!

    May I submit that sionnach's comment found itself happily transported via a copy/paste feature, and, like Alice of the Drink Me/Eat Me fame, became larger in the new box?

    August 16, 2011

  • Bear: Only when I'm REALLY put-off.

    August 16, 2011

  • *nom, nom, nom*

    August 16, 2011

  • Mmmmm. I need some umbrage right now.

    And some fufluns.

    And some sprinkles.

    Oh look! I've found ruzuzu.

    :D

    August 17, 2011

  • Eek!

    *drops umbrage*

    *and fufluns*

    August 17, 2011

  • Awww... Am I really that scary?

    August 17, 2011

  • No, no--you just startled me.

    *dusts off a fuflun and offers it to Punderscore*

    August 17, 2011

  • careful, those are nuclear!!

    August 17, 2011

  • Preposterous! What kind of sick mind could have dreamed up nuclear fufluns?

    *looks it up to see who first listed it*

    Oh... my bad.

    Yeah, watch out for that batch.

    August 18, 2011

  • What is this blasphemy? Nuclear fufluns? Bah!

    August 19, 2011

  • To take or not to take.....?

    August 20, 2011

  • *hands out glowing green fufluns as a distraction*

    *snarfs up umbrage*

    *flees*

    August 20, 2011

  • You know, reesetee, you've been doing a lot of fleeing with umbrage.

    August 20, 2011

  • What? Umbrage!

    *flees*

    August 24, 2011

  • I take umbrage at sionnach's refusal to bracket the bit about the parsnips.

    August 24, 2011

  • Of shady origins and cast in the shadows of uncertainty

    January 17, 2017

  • Also see take umbrage, if you dare.

    March 18, 2020