outrageous

Etymology

It is borrowed from Anglo-Norman outrageus, which was also the Old French form (modern French outrageux),^[2][3][4][5] recorded in Old French from about 1165,^[2] and formed on outrage (“excess”) with the suffix -eus (-ous).^[2][6][4] The French noun comes from Vulgar Latin *ultrāticum (“excess”), from Latin ultrā (“beyond”),^[3] which Etymonline traces to Proto-Indo-European *al- (“beyond”).^[3] Etymonline notes that the meaning of outrage narrowed towards violent excess through a folk etymology from out and rage.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of an act, grossly cruel or unjust, a gross violation of morality or decency: a1325, in the Statutes of the Realm.^[2] Etymonline, the Shorter Oxford and Merriam-Webster give the sense "excessive, extravagant, immoderate" as the first,^[3][5][4] and Etymonline dates it to about 1300; the Anglo-Norman word already had both senses.^[3][7]

Semantic evolution

In Chaucer (c1390) the word meant both violent or unrestrained in action and going beyond reasonable limits, extravagant;^[2] Etymonline dates "flagrantly evil, atrocious" to the late 14th century.^[3] As an adverb, "extremely", it was used from 1487 to 1678.^[2] The sense "going beyond the bounds of conventional behaviour; daring, provocative" is recorded from 1778, in Fanny Burney's Evelina,^[2] and Etymonline remarks that modern teenage slang uses of the word unknowingly come close to the original sense of excess.^[3]

Timeline

• a1325 – grossly cruel, unjust or offensive.^[2]
• c1390 – violent, unrestrained; excessive, extravagant, in Chaucer.^[2]
• 1487 – adverb, extremely (obsolete by 1678).^[2]
• 1778 – daringly unconventional, shocking, in Fanny Burney.^[2]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Grossly offensive, unjust or cruel; shocking: an outrageous attack on unarmed people.
2. Far beyond what is reasonable or usual; extravagant or exorbitant: They charged an outrageous price for a sandwich.
3. Boldly unconventional or provocative: He was known for his outrageous stage costumes.
4. (now rare) Violent or unrestrained in behaviour.

Word family

• outrageously
• outrageousness

Related words

• outrage
• ultra

Usage notes

Dictionary.com refers outrageous to its synonym study at flagrant.^[8]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
8. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House