Hot Under the Collar: English for Anger (With Discussion Questions)
Anger is one of our basic emotions, along with feelings like happiness and sadness. But just like those other feelings, anger can take many forms, which is why we don't use the same word to describe them all.
This article will help students boost their vocabulary by introducing many alternatives and even a few idioms they can use to describe this basic feeling.
Words for Anger
Irritated / Annoyed
Anger scale rating: low
The line was full of annoyed customers waiting to speak to a representative.
My girlfriend always gets irritated by the barking from our neighbor’s dog.
Upset
Anger scale rating: dependent on situation
I really get upset when my roommate borrows my things without asking me first.
This usage represents a feeling close to anger.
I’m upset about what I said to you earlier. I’m sorry.
Here, it's closer to sadness or regret.
Unhappy
Anger scale rating: dependent on situation
You look unhappy. Is everything OK?
The manager is very unhappy with the sales numbers from the last quarter.
Mad
Anger scale rating: mid
Thomas has a quick temper, so he can get mad quite easily.
I hope you’re not mad about what happened last week.
Point out that in British English, this word means “crazy” or “insane.”
When she told me she was moving to France, I thought she was mad.
Livid
Anger scale rating: high
The customer on the phone is livid about the mistake with his order.
Pissed
Anger scale rating: high
Be sure to mention the very informal tone of this word, particularly for students studying for business purposes.
Kevin was pissed we didn’t invite him to the party.
“Pissed off” is also common.
The way she interrupts me when I’m speaking really pisses me off.
Again, the meanings here differ depending whether they're used in an American English or British English context. In British English, the adjective "pissed" refers to being drunk, and the phrasal verb "piss off" is a very rude way of saying "go away."
My roommate came home totally pissed last night.
Piss off, you noisy kids.
Idioms for Anger
See red
My neighbor was seeing red when we accidentally hit a baseball through his kitchen window.
Hit the roof
My parents will hit the roof if we don’t clean up this mess before they come back.
Flip out
The customer flipped out when he saw the bill for his car repairs.
Lose one’s cool
The student sleeping in the back of the classroom made the professor lose his cool.
Snap
When I saw the look on his face, I knew he was about to snap.
Although the following expressions are related, they don't express anger directly.
Ruffle feathers
Meaning: make people uncomfortable or disrupt the normal way of doing things
His controversial statement will definitely ruffle a lot of people's feathers.
Let off steam
Meaning: do something to reduce stress or anger
When work frustrates me, I hit a punching bag at the gym to let off steam.
Discussion Questions
- Is it easy for you to "keep your cool"?
- When was the last time you got really angry?
- How do you let off steam when you get angry?
- Why do you think the color red is connected with anger?
- Is it common in your country/culture for people to express anger openly?
- Please translate a common expression for anger in your native language into English.
Wrap-up
Discussions about anger have the potential to lead into some interesting chats, as students should have at least one or two related stories to tell.
In some cases, you may find that students enjoy the chance to talk about these feelings, especially if outbursts and direct displays of emotion are less common in their part of the world. Just make sure to avoid topics that could be a bit too personal.
