Obs. Forms: α. 3 wreððen, wreþþen, 4 wreþþe, wretþe, 4–5 wretthe. β. 3 wraððen (wraðhin), 3–4 wraþþen (3 Orm. -enn), 4–5 wraþþe, 5 wraþþi, wrathþe; 3 wratþen, 4–5 wratthen, wratthe. γ. 3 wraðen, wraþen (wrahþen), 4 wrathen, 4–5 wraþe, wrathe, wraþ (4 wragh), 4–6, arch. 9 wrath. δ. 5, Sc. 6 wraith. [Early ME. wreþþen, wraþþen, f. the sb. (see WRATH sb.), taking the place of the earlier wrēðen WRETHE v. Cf. AWRATH, IWRATHE, and WROTH vbs.]
I. intr. To be or become angry, wrathful or wroth; to feel, manifest or exhibit anger; to rage.
c. 1205. Lay., 1450. Þa iwredðede [v.r. iwreððede] Numbert.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 746. Þe king bigon to wreððen [Cott. MS. wraððen].
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter cxi. 10. Sinful sal se, and wrath he sal.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 230. Ȝet wrathed not þe wyȝ, ne þe wrech saȝtled.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. I. 189. Yf he wratthe, we mowe be war.
14[?]. Sir Beues (C.), 632. He wrathed sore yn is hertte.
c. 1450. Merlin, i. 3. Whan the gode man herde this he gan to wratthe.
transf. c. 1275. Lay., 4577. Þe wind com on wiþere, And þe see wreþþede. Ibid., 12006. Þe see was wonderliche wod; and þe see wraþþede.
b. Const. against, at, in, with (a person or thing).
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 111. Whan wrathed Steuen with Dauid of Scotland.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 8442. The worthy at his wife wrathet a litle.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 20. A gentille knightes doughter that wratthed atte the tables with a gentille man.
transf. a. 1300. E. E. Psalter cxxiii. 3. When wrathed [Harl. wraghed] breth of þa in us þus.
1382. Wyclif, Ps. cxxiii. 3. Whan shulde wrathen the wodnesse of hem in to vs.
c. Of the Deity: To be or grow righteously angry or wroth (against or with a person or thing).
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter vii. 12 (H.). God demer rith,… Nou wrathes be alle daies in land?
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. IX. 128. Caymes kynde & his kynde coupled togideres, Tyl god wratthed for her werkis.
1382. Wyclif, Lam. v. 22. Lord,… thou wrathedist aȝen vs hugely.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 77. And God wratthed therwith, and bade Moyses [etc.].
2. trans. To make a person, etc.) irate, angry, or wroth; to move to wrath, ire, or deep resentment; to anger, enrage; to annoy, vex.
In very frequent use from c. 1350 to c. 1450.
α. c. 1205. Lay., 3771. Heo werðede [c. 1275 Hii wreþþede] heore moddri mare þene heo sulden.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 426. On alle wise uorberen to wreððen hore dame.
a. 1250. Prov. Ælfred (A.), 276. And þu hi myd worde iwreþþed heuedest.
1340. Ayenb., 8. Þet we ous loky þet we ne wreþþi uader ne moder wytindeliche.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 4045. Þenk eftsones to auenged be of þe Amyral þat haþ y-wreþþed þe.
a. 1450. Northern Passion (D), 727. Petir stod wretthid ful sore.
β. a. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 99. Se ðe hafð ðese eadi mihte, him ne mai no mann wraðhin.
c. 1205. Lay., 7200. Þe feond wes iwraððed.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7721. Ȝif þat eni him [= William] wraþþede, adoun he was anon.
13[?]. K. Alis., 3369 (Laud MS.). Ne shaltou wraþþe þi lorde gent.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 8584. Of þese dedly synnes seuene, Þat we wraþþe with God of heuene.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 85. Serwe on þi lokkes, Such weddyng to worche to wraþþe with truþe.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. xii. (Bodl. MS.). Þe bee whan he is ywraþþed.
a. 1450. Myrc, Par. Pr., 1142. Hast þou … Wrathþed þy neȝbore in any þynge?
1480. Caxton, Cron. Eng., ccxxx. 244. The kyng was gretely meuid and wratthed.
transf. c. 1205. Lay., 12006. Þe sæ wes wunder ane wod, and ladliche iwraððed.
absol. 13[?]. Pol., Rel., & L. Poems (1903), 260. Lechery … wasteþ…, hit wraþþeþ, hit bigileþ.
γ. a. 1275. Prov. Ælfred (B.), 276. If … þu hire mid worde wraþed hauedest.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 16427. Pilate forthoght þaim bath to wrath.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 981. I wraþed him neuer … in word ne in dede.
c. 1369. Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 1151. Ne I wolde haue wrathed her truly.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 29. But yn a myshappe … þay wraþeden hor modyr.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, f v b. Wrath not thy neighborys next the.
[1866. Morris, Ayenb., 8, marg. Wrath not thy Father or Mother.]
transf. c. 1205. Lay., 4577. Þe wind com on weðere, and þa sæ he wraðede [c. 1275 þe see wreþþede].
δ. c. 1400. Brut, II. 310. Wherfore þe King was gretly … wraithed.
c. 1480. Henryson, Fables, Wolf & Lamb, 43. He wraithit me, and than I culd him warne Within ane ȝeir.
b. Predicated of things. Somewhat rare.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 238. Ne nis na þing hwerþurh monnes muchele madschipe wreððeð [Cott. MS. wraððeð] him wið mare [etc.].
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 27. Moni þing schal ham wraððen & gremen.
1472. Paston Lett., III. 57. Sir Jamys is evyr choppyng at me … with syche wordys as he thynkys wrathe me.
c. To provoke or incite (the Deity) to righteous anger or wrath; to move to displeasure. Also const. to, with.
In frequent use from c. 1325 to c. 1425.
c. 1200. Ormin, 5615. Þu Ne darrst nohht Drihhtin wraþþenn.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 138. Monnes soule … geð ut of hire heie heouenliche cunde, & forte paien hire, wreððet hire schuppare.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8813. Þo þou … wraþþedest so muche god.
c. 1330. Amis & Amil., 606. Al our ioie … We schuld lese, and, for that sinne, Wretthi God therto.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 1227 (Fairf.). Vn-sely cayme … and alle his osspringe … wraþet him wiþ wikked rede.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 16. Ihesu, for them y þe biseche Þat wraþþen þee in ony wise.
a. 1450. Myrc, Par. Pr., 978. Hast þou … I-wrathþad þy god greuowsly?
1485. Caxton, St. Wenefr., 3. Thou hast gretely wratthed oure lorde.
3. refl. To wax, become or grow angry.
c. 1205. Lay., 20345. Arður … þis gomen isæh and wraðde hine sulfne.
a. 1225. Juliana, 10 (Royal MS.). Þa þe reue iherde þis, he wreððede him swiðe.
c. 1290. Beket, 972. Þo þe king i-saiȝ him so come he wrathþede him a-non.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 661. Fader, no wretþe þe nouȝt.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 176. Whi þou wraþþest þe now, wonder me þinkeþ.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 4125. Hurre brother wratthede hym þo at þe last.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Grail, xxxvii. 644. Anon to wraththen sche gan hire there.
[1822. Scott, Peveril, xxii. ‘Nay, wrath thee not, Will,’ said Ganlesse.]
4. trans. To be or become angry with (a person); to treat with anger, ire, or deep resentment.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 174. Ne I nyl forbere, yf þat ye don a-mys, To wrathen [Harl. MS. wreth] yow, and whil þat ye me serue, Cherycen yow right after ye deserue.
1375. Cantic. de Creatione, 288. Ȝut bad me Michel with word od Worschipen þe, or elles god Wolde wrathen me.
c. 1430. in Pol., Rel., & L. Poems (1903), 191/11. Whi wraþþist þou me? y greue þee nouȝt.
1567. Turberv., Ovid’s Ep., 73 b. A cruell stepdame will my children wrath [L. saeviet in partus meos].
5. To afflict, harm or injure; to bring to grief or disaster.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 1529. Gwichard, who haþ wretþed þe, & where hastow in bateyle be?
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 726. For werre wrathed hym not so much, þat wynter was wors. Ibid., 2420. Adam,… Salamon … and Samson … were wrathed wyth her [sc. woman’s] wyles.
14[?]. Guy Warw., 1123 (Camb. MS.), 3252. Or they be passyd the hyllys hye, We schall þem wrath.
Hence † Wrather, one who excites, or moves to, wrath; † Wrathing vbl. sb. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Ezek. ii. 7. Therfor thou shalt speke my wordis to hem,… for thei ben *wraththers.
c. 1370. Stacions of Rome, 107 (Vernon MS.). *Wraþþing of Fader or Moder ȝif hit be In godes nome he forȝiueþ þe.
c. 1400. Cato’s Morals, 296, in Cursor M., 1673. For nane alde wraþþing hate noȝt þi frende if he chaunge his manere.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 241. Princepally for dreed of god, for dreed of his wretthyng.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 24. For drede of sclaunder and wratthinge of her.
