harbour anger

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "harbour anger" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe the act of holding onto feelings of anger or resentment over time. Example: "After the argument, she continued to harbour anger towards her colleague for weeks."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It's very possible that some of these young people become frustrated and harbour anger towards society, making them are ripe for recruitment by militant outfits.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Even after it happened, I didn't harbour any anger towards her.

The Guardian - Opinion

Workers still harbour some anger at chief executive Alan Mulally's $26.5m pay package from last year.

The Guardian - Business

An hour's drive away, the small city of Chalkida harboured similar anger.

The Guardian

He insists, like his mentor, that he harbours no anger towards China, and supports a continued middle way policy rather than the independence demanded by some Tibetan radicals.

The Guardian - Opinion

Medya had recurrent nightmares, while Beriwan and Dilovan were said to harbour pent-up anger.

The Guardian

The misplacement, transplanting the Oriental Pearl tower from the Chinese city to Hong Kong's Victoria harbour, has sparked anger among Hong Kongers, some of whom read a political message behind it.

The Guardian - Film

The regime spoke to the anguish caused by Israel's occupation of Palestine, and the anger harboured towards the west for its role in breaking apart the Arab world after the First World War.

The Guardian - Opinion

It's Obama saying they will be pals, not Clinton; there's the lingering feeling that underneath her composed exterior, Hillary continues to harbour doubts, that her anger burns brightly.

Independent

You might expect, then, against a backdrop of perceived greed-creep, that the contemporaries he is leaving behind to toil in relative anonymity for a fraction of his fortune, at their counties and, if they are lucky, when representing their country, would harbour some resentment or anger.

The Guardian - Sport

But whatever anger he harbours toward Christian Europe, for Jesus, Oz expresses only fond admiration.

The Guardian - Books

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "harbour anger", consider the duration and intensity of the emotion. It suggests a deep-seated, lingering feeling rather than a fleeting moment of annoyance.

Common error

Avoid using "harbour anger" to describe momentary frustration. The phrase implies a more profound and enduring resentment.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "harbour anger" functions as a verb-noun construction, where "harbour" acts as a transitive verb indicating the act of holding or concealing something, and "anger" is the noun representing the emotion being held. Ludwig AI confirms this is a usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

5%

Reference

5%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "harbour anger" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe the act of holding onto feelings of anger or resentment. As stated by Ludwig, the phrase is usable in written English. While not exceptionally common, its presence in sources such as The Guardian and The Economist indicates its acceptability in neutral writing. It's important to note the phrase's connotation of a deep-seated and lingering emotion when incorporating it into your own writing. Alternatives like "hold onto resentment" or "nurse a grudge" may be more appropriate depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hold onto resentment

Focuses on maintaining feelings of bitterness and ill-will, which is a closely related emotion to anger.

maintain resentment

Highlights the continuous and sustained nature of the negative feeling.

carry a resentment

Implies a passive action of bearing anger without actively trying to resolve it.

nurse a grudge

Highlights the act of deliberately maintaining anger and resentment over time.

bear malice

Emphasizes the intention to cause harm stemming from deep-seated anger.

foster animosity

Suggests actively promoting feelings of hostility and dislike, closely linked to anger.

nurture animosity

Indicates a conscious effort to cultivate feelings of hostility and dislike.

cherish bitterness

Implies a deliberate act of holding onto negative emotions after something unpleasant has happened.

cling to rage

Emphasizes the intense and uncontrolled aspect of the anger being held.

sustain indignation

Suggests a persistent feeling of righteous anger or outrage.

FAQs

How can I use "harbour anger" in a sentence?

You can use "harbour anger" to describe someone holding onto feelings of anger or resentment over a period. For example: "After being betrayed, she began to harbour anger towards her former friend."

What are some alternatives to "harbour anger"?

You can use alternatives like "hold onto resentment", "nurse a grudge", or "bear malice" depending on the specific context.

What does it mean to "harbour anger"?

To "harbour anger" means to hold onto and nurture feelings of anger or resentment, often secretly or internally.

Is it better to "harbour anger" or address it directly?

Generally, it's healthier to address the source of your anger directly rather than "harbour anger", as suppressing such feelings can lead to negative psychological and emotional consequences.