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Perfect Stranger Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary
Vocabulary question no. 40 - umbrage
Dear All,
Is the word umbrage commonly used in both spoken and written English or at least one of them? Is it considered old-fashioned? In what situations would you use it, if in any?
Thank you!
PS. I have found these collocations at Dictionary.com
to feel umbrage at a social snub;
to give umbrage to someone;
to takeumbrage at someone's rudeness.
Is the word umbrage commonly used in both spoken and written English or at least one of them? Is it considered old-fashioned? In what situations would you use it, if in any?
Thank you!
PS. I have found these collocations at Dictionary.com
to feel umbrage at a social snub;
to give umbrage to someone;
to takeumbrage at someone's rudeness.
Top answer
` In my experience, 'to take umbrage' is the only collocation which is common in spoken and written English.
- ` In my experience, 'to take umbrage' is the only collocation which is common in spoken and written English.
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8 Answers
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In my experience, 'to take umbrage' is the only collocation which is common in spoken and written English.
In my experience, 'to take umbrage' is the only collocation which is common in spoken and written English.
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Rover_KEIn my experience, 'to take umbrage' is the only collocation which is common in spoken and written English.Thank you Rover. Hmm... Do people actually use that word in everyday life? I've never heard it before.
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It's certainly not in common use in the U.S. It sounds very old-fashioned and maybe British as well. I might come across it in an old novel once in a while, but it's not something you run across every day.
Perfect StrangerRover_KEIn my experience, 'to take umbrage' is the only collocation which is common in spoken and written English.Actually I think I've enc
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Thank you Rover and Khoff. Hmm... I'm looking for a good expression that could fit in this conversation:
A: Why didn't you reply to my yesterday's messages?
B: I don't know. I felt upset.
A: Upset? Did you get upset by/with my words?
B: Yeah, sort of.
A:
a) Did you take umbrage?
b) Did you get offended?
c) Did I offend you?
d) Did you feel offended?
A: Why didn't you reply to my yesterday's messages?
B: I don't know. I felt upset.
A: Upset? Did you get upset by/with my words?
B: Yeah, sort of.
A:
a) Did you take umbrage?
b) Did you get offended?
c) Did I offend you?
d) Did you feel offended?
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A), C) and D) are good. B) is quite common in casual speech.
I would say that umbrage is a word that is used sometimes, but not often. COCA lists 198 matches, including some from television current-events shows like CBS This Morning and NBC Today, as well as popular newspapers like USA Today.
I would say that umbrage is a word that is used sometimes, but not often. COCA lists 198 matches, including some from television current-events shows like CBS This Morning and NBC Today, as well as popular newspapers like USA Today.
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In your conversation, C is the most likely, to my ears.
It also puts the burden on you, the person who caused the offense. Did I somehow offend you? Gosh, I'm sorry.
The others but the burden on the person who "took offense." Did you take offense? Gosh, are you overly sensitive.
(Not everyone will hear it that way, but it's one difference that I would feel.)
It also puts the burden on you, the person who caused the offense. Did I somehow offend you? Gosh, I'm sorry.
The others but the burden on the person who "took offense." Did you take offense? Gosh, are you overly sensitive.
(Not everyone will hear it that way, but it's one difference that I would feel.)
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Thanks a lot Blue Jay and Barbara! Wonderful answers!
I'd like to ask one more, final question if you don't mind.
Would you often use did you take umbrage instead of did you take offense?
I'd like to ask one more, final question if you don't mind.
Would you often use did you take umbrage instead of did you take offense?
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Perfect StrangerWould you often use did you take umbrage instead of did you take offense?No. I would be far more likely to say offense than umbrage.
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