dudgeon

1 of 2

noun (1)

dud·​geon ˈdə-jən How to pronounce dudgeon (audio)
1
obsolete : a wood used especially for dagger hilts
2
a
archaic : a dagger with a handle of dudgeon
b
obsolete : a haft made of dudgeon

dudgeon

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a fit or state of indignation
often used in the phrase in high dudgeon
Choose the Right Synonym for dudgeon

offense, resentment, umbrage, pique, dudgeon, huff mean an emotional response to or an emotional state resulting from a slight or indignity.

offense implies hurt displeasure.

takes deep offense at racial slurs

resentment suggests lasting indignation or ill will.

harbored a lifelong resentment of his brother

umbrage may suggest hurt pride, resentment, or suspicion of another's motives.

took umbrage at the offer of advice

pique applies to a transient feeling of wounded vanity.

in a pique I foolishly declined the invitation

dudgeon suggests an angry fit of indignation.

stormed out of the meeting in high dudgeon

huff implies a peevish short-lived spell of anger usually at a petty cause.

in a huff he slammed the door

Examples of dudgeon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But some Angelenos took their picket signs and their dudgeon to City Hall. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023 His appeal lies in the contrast between this tone of absolute sincerity, which often escalates into high dudgeon, and the nature of his obsessions, which run toward jarring combinations of the stupefyingly mundane and the elaborately scatological. Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 17 June 2022 Dederer is at her best on such complicities—her own fondness for assholes, our cultural fascination with monsters—and less convincing when in a dudgeon, or deploying her feelings and experiences as intellectual credentials. Laura Kipnis, The New Republic, 5 May 2023 The antics of anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers — whipped into high dudgeon by right-wing politicians who generally wear masks and are fully vaccinated — set off progressives, some of whose worst tendencies are sneering, condescension and sanctimoniousness. Greg Jefferson, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Dec. 2021 Radek Sikorski was in high dudgeon, and rightly so. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 13 Oct. 2021 On Thursday, the asymmetrical reaction from the two parties — with Democrats in high dudgeon and Republicans relatively muted — hinted at how the two sides may approach the issue in the midterm campaign. Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2021 That noted, on March 8 and 9, the Mail was able to whip up a portrait of high dudgeon in Parliament and elsewhere in official London, with several contacts on the Conservative bench calling for Harry to be stripped of his titles for his ongoing, specific, disrespect to the Crown. Guy Martin, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2021 Amid the high dudgeon, there was plenty of fossil humor. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 2 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dudgeon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English dogeon, from Anglo-French digeon, dogeon

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1573, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dudgeon was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near dudgeon

Cite this Entry

“Dudgeon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dudgeon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dudgeon

noun
dud·​geon
ˈdəj-ən
: ill humor
stomped off in high dudgeon
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