Found 19 stronger alternatives to upgrade your writing.
General anger (informal)
Nuance: Upset
Common in speech.
Boring
He was angry at me.
Better
He was mad at me.
Emotional / hurt anger
Nuance: Distressed
Mix of sad/angry.
Boring
She is angry about the rule.
Better
She is upset about the rule.
Acting angry/cruel
Nuance: Aggressive
Behavioral.
Boring
The dog sounds angry.
Better
The dog sounds mean.
Mild anger (British/old-fashioned)
Nuance: Mildly annoyed
Polite/mild scolding.
Boring
Mom was angry with us.
Better
Mom was cross with us.
Mood (bad mood)
Nuance: Irritable
Specific to moodiness.
Boring
He is angry in the morning.
Better
He is grumpy in the morning.
Mild irritation
Nuance: Bothered
Low-level anger.
Boring
I was angry about the noise.
Better
I was annoyed about the noise.
Blocked / can't succeed
Nuance: Stuck
Specific to obstacles.
Boring
She felt angry at the puzzle.
Better
She felt frustrated at the puzzle.
Bothered repeatedly
Nuance: Bugged
Reaction to pestering.
Boring
He became angry at the questions.
Better
He became irritated at the questions.
Very angry / explosive
Nuance: Explosive
High intensity.
Boring
Dad was angry when I broke the window.
Better
Dad was furious when I broke the window.
Long-lasting anger / grudge
Nuance: Resentful
Anger that doesn't go away.
Boring
He is still angry about losing.
Better
He is still bitter about losing.
Unfriendly / enemy-like
Nuance: Enemy-like
Aggressive/ready to fight.
Boring
The crowd was angry.
Better
The crowd was hostile.
Ready to attack
Nuance: Dangerous
Physical threat.
Boring
The dog became angry.
Better
The dog became aggressive.
Insulted
Nuance: Insulted
Reaction to insult.
Boring
She was angry about the joke.
Better
She was offended about the joke.
Protecting oneself (reactively)
Nuance: Guarded
Reacting to criticism.
Boring
He got angry when I asked.
Better
He got defensive when I asked.
Very angry (formal)
Nuance: Heated
Professional/customer service tone.
Boring
An angry customer called.
Better
An irate customer called.
Very angry (formal)
Nuance: Very angry; outraged
Formal; very strong anger.
Boring
She was angry about the unfair rule.
Better
She was incensed about the unfair rule.
Angry because you are fed up
Nuance: Fed up; irritated
Often means frustrated + angry.
Boring
He was angry about the constant interruptions.
Better
He was exasperated about the constant interruptions.
Aggressive and ready to fight
Nuance: Aggressive; confrontational
Stronger than “hostile”.
Boring
The angry customer argued with everyone.
Better
The belligerent customer argued with everyone.
Extremely angry (rare)
Nuance: Furious; out of control
Very advanced; use carefully.
Boring
She was angry when she saw the damage.
Better
She was apoplectic when she saw the damage.