▪ I. † wroth, n.1 Obs.
Also 5 wrooþ, wrooth, 5, Sc. 6 wrothe, 6 wroath.
[f. wroth a., replacing wrath n. or wrethe n.]
Deep anger or resentment; wrath, rage, or fury; ire.
The earlier examples are doubtful. The first may be a miswriting for wrethe or worthe, and the second may be adjectival, as in Gower Conf. vi. 1696 (see for-1 prefix 10).
| a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 2077 All þe werd [v.r. werld] war to waike his wrothe to with-stand. a 1425 Cursor M. 12183 (Trin.), Leuy for wrooþ..smot him on þe heed a dint. 1513 Douglas æneid ii. x. 24 Sair pwnitioun of Greikis dred scho, als Hir husbandis wroth. 1581 A. Hall Iliad vi. 109 Thus sets the trayterous iade the king with griefe and wroth a fire. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. ii. iii. 182 Imagin'd wroth Holds in hir bloud..swolne and hot discourse. 1663 Butler Hud. i. i. 892 The objects of our Wroth. Ibid. ii. 737 At this the Knight grew high in wroth. |
▪ II. wroth, n.2 Cornish dial.
(rəʊθ)
[Cf. wrasse.]
One or other species of wrasse.
| 1750 Heath Acc. Isl. Scilly 317 The Coast is plentifully stored..with Sea Round Fish; as..Cunner, Rockling, Cod, Wroth, Becket. 1882 Jago Anc. Lang. Cornwall 314 Wroth, a fish known as Conner, or sea Carp. |
▪ III. wroth, a.
(rəʊθ, rɒθ)
Forms: α. 1 wrað (Northumb. urað, wurað), 2–3 wrað (5 wrad), 3–4 wraþ, 4 wraþe, 4–5, Sc. 6 wrathe (4 wrahte), 4–5 wrath (4 wragh, 5 Sc. vrath, 6 wraath, wraathe), Sc. 5–6, 8 wraith (6 wreith); 3 wræð (wærð), 6 Sc. wreth. β. 3 wroð, 3–5 wroþ (3–4 vroþ), 3–5 wroþe, 4–6 wrothe, 4– wroth (4 wrogh, wroght, wroþt, 4–5 wroht, worth, 5 wrought, wroghth, wourthe); 4–5 wrooþ, wrooth, 5 wrooþe, 5 rowthe, 6 wrouthe.
[OE. wráþ, = OFris. wrêth evil, OS. wrêđ (MLG. wrede, wrêt, LG. wrêd), MDu. wrêt, wreet (Du. and Flem. wreed cruel), OHG. reid, reidi (MHG. reit, reide curled, twisted), ON. *wreiðr, reiðr (Norw. vreid, reid, Da. and Sw. vred) angry, offended, f. the pa. tense of wr{iacu}ðan to writhe. Cf. wrath a.
In very freq. use c 1250–c 1450. Rare (exc. in or after Biblical usage), c 1530–c 1850, being regarded as ‘out of use’ by Johnson, ‘nearly obsolete’ by Ash, but as ‘an excellent word and not obsolete’ by Webster (1828–32). Revived in sense 1, esp. in formal or dignified style, c 1800.]
1. Stirred to wrath; moved or exasperated to ire or indignation; very angry or indignant; wrathful, incensed, irate.
Rarely attrib., as in quots. a 1225, 1375, c 1400.
| α c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxii. 7 Ðe cyniᵹ uutedlice mið ðy ᵹeherde wurað wæs. a 1000 Genesis 2260 Ða wearð unbliðe Abrahames cwen, hire worcþeowe wrað on mode. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1066, Þa þe cyng Willelm ᵹeherde þæt secgen þa wearð he swiðe wrað. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 15 Ne beo þu nefre ene wrað þer fore. c 1200 Ormin 19603 And ta warrþ wraþ Herode. c 1205 Lay. 8268 Þa wes he wræð ful iwis. Ibid. 28723 Þus þe king wordede, wræð on his þonke. a 1300 Cursor M. 1599 Þof he was wrath it was na wrang. 1375 Barbour Bruce xvi. 245 Micht no man se ane vrathar man. c 1400 Rule St. Benet (Prose) 1 He, as a wrath fader,..deseret vs os not hys sons. c 1450 Merlin i. 18 Tho gan the Iuge to be right wrath. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 100 The Carll..wox wonder wraith. c 1520 M. Nisbet Ephes. iv. 26 Be ye wrathe, and will ye nocht do synn. c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) vi. 38 For be scho wreth I will not wow it. 1590 J. Burel in Watson Coll. ii. (1709) 2 Anna, wondrous wraith, Deplors hir sister Didos daith. a 1776 Lord Ingram in Child Ballads II. 131/2 A' was blyth at Auld Ingram's cuming, But Lady Maisdrey was wraith. |
| β c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 183 Al þat me was leof, hit was þe loð; þu ware a sele ȝief ich was wroð. a 1225 Ancr. R. 120 Wroð mon is he wod? c 1290 Becket 413 Þo was þe king wel of i-nouȝ, wroþere þane he was er. 13.. Cursor M. 4889 (Gött.), If he it wit he wil be wroght [Trin. wrooþ]. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. xli. (BM. Addit. MS.), By þe galle we ben wrooþ, by þe herte we ben wys. c 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1906) 22 Thanne she was wrother thanne afore. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon iii. 113 Sire,..ye be wroth of som other thyng. 1526 Tindal Matt. xxii. 7 When the kyng hearde that, he was wroth. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Mark x. 65 For he was nether wroth, nor murmured against Christ. a 1599 Spenser F.Q. vii. vi. 35 There-at Ioue wexed wroth. 1611 Bible 1 Sam. xx. 7 If he be very wroth,..euill is determined by him. 1656 Blount Glossogr. 1716 M. Davies Athen. Brit. III. 25 Our modern Dissenters seem wroth, when they are deem'd a vulgar..kind of People. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones vi. ix, The parson..saying, ‘You behold, Sir, how he waxeth wroth at your abode here’. 1820 Wordsw. ‘A Book came forth’ 7 But some..Waxed wroth, and with foul claws..On Bard and Hero clamorously fell. 1842 Tennyson Dora 23 Then the old man Was wroth, and doubled up his hands. 1852 Dickens Bleak Ho. xl, Sir Leicester is majestically wroth. 1880 Blackmore Mary Anerley xxxiii, ‘I know it,’ said Carroway, too wroth to swear. |
| absol. a 1250 Owl & Night. 944 Selde endeþ wel þe loþe & selde playdeþ wel þe wroþe. |
| transf. c 1386 Chaucer Cook's T. 34 Reuel and trouthe..been ful wrothe al day as men may see. |
b. Said of the Deity.
| a 1100 in Earle Land-Charters (1888) 253 Crist..him wurðe wrað þe hi hæfre ᵹeþywie. a 1300 Cursor M. 959 Wa es me! lauerd,..þat euer i mad þe wrath. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 5479 When he es wrathe þat es maker of alle. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶96 Ther shal the..wrothe Iuge sitte aboue. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. i. 117 God was wel þe wroþer. a 1450 Mirk's Festial i. 4 Aboue hym schall be Crist his domes-man so wroþe, þat [etc.]. 1533 Bellenden Livy (S.T.S.) I. 106 The goddis war sa commovit and wraith, þat [etc.]. 1611 Bible Isaiah lxiv. 9 Be not wroth very sore, O Lord. 1697 Dryden æneis v. 1110 The God was wroth. 1820 Keats Hyperion ii. 351 He saw full many a God Wroth as himself. 1877 Tennyson Harold i. i. 28 Why should not Heaven be wroth? |
c. With dative, or const. with preps., as against, at, on, † to, † toward, † upon, or esp. with.
| (a) a 1000 Genesis 405 Þonne weorð he him wrað on mode. c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Thorpe) lxxxiv. 4 Þæt ðu us ne weorðe wrað on mode. c 1200 Ormin 4814 Forr whatt iss Drihhtin me þuss wraþ? c 1230 Hali Meid. 31 Beo hit nu, þat..ti were beo þe wrað. |
| (b) c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 117 Þi les ðe god iwurðe wrað wið eou. c 1205 Lay. 6369 A-nan se he wes wrað wid eni. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 570 Corineus..wroþ inou was Toward þe king lotrin. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 12293 Al tymes ys God more wroþer with þys Þan [etc.]. a 1352 Minot Poems iii. 5 For mani men to him er wroth. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 201 Gyff ony thar-at war wrath. 1388 Wyclif Num. xxiv. 10 Balaach was wrooth aȝens Balaam. 1412 26 Pol. Poems 47 First whan god wiþ man was wroþ. 1471 Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) 535 Dyane..was wrothe and angry vpon them. c 1489 ― Sonnes of Aymon i. 50 Charlemayne..was wrothe to theym. 1535 Coverdale 2 Chron. xxviii. 9 The Lorde God..is wroth at Iuda. 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. vi. 19 She..woxe halfe wroth against her damzels slacke. Ibid. vii. 8 Be not wroth With silly Virgin. 1611 Bible Ps. lxxxix. 38 Thou hast bene wroth with thine anointed. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xxv, The signor, it seems, had lately been very wroth against her. 1859 Tennyson Elaine 160 Then got Sir Lancelot suddenly to horse, Wroth at himself. 1873 ‘Ouida’ Pascarel I. 39 She, dear soul, was very wroth against him always. 1883 Whitelaw Sophocles, Antigone 1177 Wroth with his pitiless sire, he slew himself. |
| fig. a 1300 Cursor M. 30 Þe wrang to here o right is lath, And pride wyt buxsumnes is wrath. |
† 2. Marked or characterized by anger or wrath; indicative of ire or indignation. Obs.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Thorpe) lxiii. 4 Hi..hi mid wraðum wordum trymmað. a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxiii. 1 Wrathe es þi breth, ouer schepe of þi fode. a 1325 Prose Psalter cxxiii. 3 Her wodeship was wroþe oȝains us. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1706 Þay sued hym [sc. a fox] fast, Wreȝande hym ful weterly with a wroth noyse. c 1375 Cursor M. 828 (Fairf.), Sone bigan veniaunce to kithe, al was wraþ þat er was blithe. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 22 Wroth woords statelye thus [he] vsed. 1648 J. Beaumont Psyche xii. xxxiii, Wroth fiery Knots are marshalled upon Her Forehead. |
† 3. Of a fierce, savage, or violent disposition or character; stern, truculent. Obs.
| Beowulf 319 Ic to sæ wille wið wrað werod wearde healdan. c 893 ælfred Oros. vi. ii. 254 Þa wearð Tiberius Romanum swa wrað & swa heard swa he him ær wæs milde & ieþe. c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Thorpe) lxvii. 5 Þa þe wydewum syn wraðe æt dome. c 1205 Lay. 18583 Þis iherde Gorlois..& he andsware ȝaf, eorlene wraðest. Ibid. 28503 Arður þat iherde, wraðest kinge. c 1275 Ibid. 6402 Þar was mani bold Brut, and mani cnihtes wroþe [c 1205 bisi kempen]. |
† b. In the phrase as wroth as (the) wind. Obs.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 319 He wex as wroth as wynde. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. iii. 328 Also wroth as þe wynde Wex Mede in a while. c 1400 Destr. Troy 13091 And he [was] wrothe as the wynde to his wale eme. 14.. Erthe upon Erthe 33/48 Erthe is as sone wroth as is the wynde. c 1470 Gol. & Gaw. 770 Golograse.., Wod wraith as the wynd, his handis can wryng. |
† 4. Of animals: Of a violent or fierce nature; irritated, enraged. Obs.
| a 900 Cynewulf Crist 1548 Se deopa seað..æleð hy mid þy ealdan liᵹe.., wraþum wyrmum. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1043 Þe vle wes wroþ, to cheste rad, Mid þisse worde hire eyen abraid. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1676 Þou..on mor most abide..With wroþe wolfes to won. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints i. (Peter) 523 Þan wes þe hound na thing wrath, Na schup to do na man schath. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 738 As wrath as a waspe. 1526 Tindale Rev. xii. 17 The dragon was wroth with the woman. |
b. transf. Of the wind, sea, etc.: Moved to a state of turmoil or commotion; violent, stormy.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 162 Euer was ilyche loud þe lot of þe wyndes, & euer wroþer þe water, & wodder þe stremes. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 525 Wroþe wynde of þe welkyn wrastelez with þe sunne. 13.., etc. [see 3 b]. 1426 Audelay Poems 47 Wry not fro Godis word as the wroth wynd. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. xi. 19 When the wroth Western wind does reaue their locks. 1835 Browning Paracelsus v. 661 The wroth sea's waves are edged With foam. 1852 C. B. Mansfield Paraguay, etc. (1856) 123 It rained heavily... So I was wroth, and the weather too. 1876 Swinburne Erechtheus 1649 The most holy heart of the deep sea, Late wroth, now full of quiet. |
† 5. Bad, evil; grievous, perverse. Obs.
In later use in to wrothe hele, wroth-haile (see wrother-heal).
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Thorpe) cxviii. 101 Ic minum fotum fæcne siðas, þa wraþan weᵹas, werede ᵹeorne. a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. l. (1883) 273 Hu læne and hu lyðre þis lif is,..hu tealt and hu wrað. a 1225 Juliana 57 Weila as þu were iboren wrecche o wraðe [v.r. wraðer] time. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 171 Þe wrecches þet ha seh..wraðe werkes wurchen. a 1250 Prov. Alfred 115 Þenne beoþ his wene ful wroþe isene. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 3019 To wroþe hele al þis lond was he so milde þo. c 1330 King of Tars 131 To wrothe hele that he was bore. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 7872 That was him to wrothe-haile: For thei of Grece opon him throng. |
† 6. Displeased, grieved; sorrowful, sad. Obs.
| 13.. K. Alis. 4528 (Laud MS.), Alisaunder haþ vnderstonde Þe lettre þat com from darries sonde. Wroþ he was, & hadde pyte. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 70 Ladies laȝed ful loude, þoȝ þay lost haden, And he þat wan was not wrothe. c 1450 Ludus Coventriæ 329 Lombe of love with-owt loth, I ffynde þe not, myn hert is wroth. |
† b. Fearful, apprehensive, afraid. Obs. rare—1.
| 13.. K. Alis. 544 (Laud MS.), Vche of hem so bycom wrooþ: For a dragon þer com in fleen. |
▪ IV. † wroth, v. Obs.
Also 1 wraðian, 5 wrothyn, wrothe.
[OE. wráðian (= OS. wrêđian, ON. *wreiða, reiða, refl. reiðask (Norw. vreidast, MSw. vreþas, Sw. vredgas, Da. vredes) to get angry, f. wráð wroth a. Cf. awroth (s.v. awrath), wrath, wrethe vbs.]
1. intr. To become wrathful or angry; to manifest anger.
| c 975 Rushw. Gosp. Mark x. 41 Ða tenu ongunnun wraðiᵹa of iacobe & iohanne. 14.. Wars Alex. 2593 (Dubl. MS.), Ȝitt wer hys baratours abaist & þen þe bern wrothed. c 1435 Torr. Portugal 1196 Lo, sir kyng, hold this,..or ellis wroth we anon. c 1475 Partenay 1254 Again melusine wrothed he ful sore. |
2. trans. To make wroth or angry; to enrage.
| c 1450 Mirk's Festial i. 66 Adam loued hyr and wold not wroth hur. 1499 Promp. Parv. (Pynson), Wrothyn or maken wrothe, irrito. 1611 Florio, Adirare, to anger, to wroth. |
b. refl. To become wrathful or angry.
| c 1425 Seven Sages (P.) 1780 Bot thau he wrothe hym never so sore, For sothe I nylle prove hym no more. |
▪ V. wroth
obs. var. wrought, pa. pple. of work v.