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Umbrage is a word born in the shadows. Its ultimate source (and that of umbrella) is Latin umbra, meaning “shade, shadow,” and when it was first used in the 15th century it referred to exactly that. But figurative use followed relatively quickly. Shakespeare wrote of Hamlet that "his semblable is his mirror, and who else would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more,” and by the 17th century this meaning of “vague suggestion; hint,” had been joined by other uses, including the “feeling of resentment or offense” heard today in such sentences as “many took umbrage at the speaker’s tasteless jokes.” The word’s early literal use is not often encountered, though it does live on in literature: for example, in her 1849 novel, Charlotte Brontë describes how the titular Shirley would relax “at the foot of some tree of friendly umbrage.”
Synonyms
Examples of umbrage in a Sentence
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Art must have taken umbrage with the slogan, because his killing of Jeff is extremely phallic in focus.
—Barry Levitt, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
Beyond the campaign, Republicans have taken umbrage with Biden administration guidance issued in February that says nonpartisan get-out-the-vote efforts qualify for federal work-study, a government program that helps lower-income college students pay tuition and fees with part-time jobs.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
Some social media users took umbrage with the fact that the hijackers depicted in the series called each by Hindu names, despite being Muslims from Pakistan.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Umbrage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/umbrage. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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umbrage
noun
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