bristle with anger

USAGE SUMMARY

"bristle with anger" is a correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It means to show strong signs of anger or irritation. Example: As the boss criticized her work, Jane's body language began to bristle with anger.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Another candidate, Mike Gravel, the former senator from Alaska, seemed to bristle with anger as he stood beside Mrs. Clinton and denounced her over the Iran vote.

The New York Times

BEIJING — Perhaps topics like the beautiful moll of a multiple-murdering hoodlum just shot dead by police will always fascinate more than politics — even issues that bristle with anger like territorial sovereignty.

The New York Times

MAY FREDERIC RZEWSKI A keyboard firebrand whose works often have political subtexts and bristle with anger, Mr. Rzewski joins the new-music ensemble Opus 21 to discuss and perform his works in an installment of Carnegie Hall's Making Music series.

The New York Times - Arts

His anti-Nazi cartoons, on which this small show focusses, bristle with anger and Biblical references: a 1943 ink-and-graphite drawing titled "De Profundis" shows Christ crowned with thorns on top of a heap of murdered Polish Jews under the legend "Cain, where is Abel thy brother?" But even the gravest content is no bar to the visual delight of Szyk's highbrow cartoon style.

The New Yorker

An article on the Maoist website Utopia questioned, "Who was greater, Mr Sun or Chairman Mao?" "The capitalist roaders who hold power within the party have become so shameless that it is making me bristle with anger," said another article on the website.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

He was bristling with anger.

The Guardian

Khan still bristles with anger over what he sees as the council's campaign against him.

The Guardian

The 6,000-word 6,000-wordwas bristling with anger and explicit threats, namanifestodozen police officers he intended to kill.

The New York Times

Looming over a tense capital and outlying neighborhoods bristling with anger and fear, Mount Qasioun is Damascus's most prominent military position.

The New York Times

While Woolf exhorts women writers not to allow anger to distort the integrity of their work, the essay itself bristles with anger.

The Guardian - Books

IN THIS RAIN (Delacorte, $24) finds her bristling with anger at the greed and corruption at the heart of the city's mammoth construction industry.

The New York Times - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "bristle with anger" to vividly depict a character or situation exhibiting barely restrained irritation or fury. It suggests a physical manifestation of anger, as if the person or environment is reacting defensively.

Common error

While you can say a situation or atmosphere "bristles with anger", avoid using it to describe inanimate objects in a literal sense unless they are being personified. For example, it's more appropriate to say "the crowd bristled with anger" than "the building bristled with anger" unless you're giving the building human-like qualities.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "bristle with anger" functions as a verb phrase that describes a visible or palpable display of anger. Ludwig's examples showcase its use in depicting a person's reaction or the atmosphere of a place.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "bristle with anger" effectively illustrates a state of barely contained fury or irritation. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and its capacity to depict a visible or palpable display of anger. The phrase appears most commonly in news and media contexts, according to Ludwig's analysis, and serves to vividly convey the intensity of emotion in a situation. While it's important to use the phrase carefully, avoiding literal descriptions of inanimate objects unless personification is intended, "bristle with anger" remains a powerful tool for conveying heightened emotional states.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

seethe with rage

Implies a suppressed, internal build-up of anger that is barely contained.

simmer with resentment

Focuses on a persistent feeling of injustice and bitterness, a more subdued form of anger.

flare up in anger

Describes a sudden and intense outburst of anger, emphasizing the quick ignition of temper.

be consumed by fury

Highlights the overwhelming nature of the anger, suggesting it completely controls the person's thoughts and actions.

seethe inwardly

Focuses on the internal experience of anger, suggesting that the anger is not openly expressed.

fume with indignation

Emphasizes righteous anger and a sense of being wronged or insulted.

resent deeply

A less intense emotion, centered on the feeling of unfairness or displeasure with someone or something.

show irritation

A mild form of anger or annoyance, indicating impatience or frustration.

express displeasure

A formal and polite way of showing dissatisfaction or disapproval, lacking the intensity of anger.

be cross

Implies a state of temporary annoyance or mild anger.

FAQs

How can I use "bristle with anger" in a sentence?

You can use "bristle with anger" to describe a person's reaction to something that makes them extremely angry. For example, "He began to "bristle with anger" when he heard the accusations."

What's a less intense way to say "bristle with anger"?

If you want to express a less intense emotion, you could use phrases like "show irritation", "express displeasure", or simply "be annoyed". These options convey dissatisfaction without the strong imagery of "bristle with anger".

Is it correct to say "bristle in anger" instead of "bristle with anger"?

While "bristle in anger" might seem grammatically similar, the common and accepted usage is "bristle with anger". "Bristle with" is the idiomatic prepositional phrase used in this context.

Can inanimate objects "bristle with anger"?

While it is more common to describe people as "bristling with anger", you can use the phrase metaphorically to describe situations or atmospheres that feel tense and hostile. For example, "The room seemed to "bristle with anger" after the argument."