in high dudgeon

in high dudgeon

With resentment; angrily or furiously. Typically refers to someone's reaction to an offense or a slight of some kind. The professor left the room in high dudgeon after the student continued to criticize his theory.See also: high

in high dudgeon

Fig. feeling or exhibiting great resentment; taking great offense at something. (Often with leave.) After the rude remarks, the person who was insulted left in high dudgeon. Dennis strode from the room in high dudgeon, and we knew he would get his revenge eventually.See also: high

in high dudgeon

Furiously, resentfully, as in He stormed out in high dudgeon. This term is the only surviving use of the word dudgeon, whose origin has been lost. [c. 1600] See also: high

in high dudgeon

LITERARYIf someone is in high dudgeon, they are very angry about something. She had left in high dudgeon after learning that the only perk was free coffee. Washington businesses are in high dudgeon over the requirement that small businesses should insure their workers.See also: high

in high dudgeon

in a state of deep resentment. The origin of dudgeon in the sense of ‘ill humour’ is unknown, and it is almost always found in this phrase. However, other adjectives are sometimes used instead of high , for example deep or great . 1938 Zane Grey Raiders of the Spanish Peaks Neale left in high dudgeon to take his case to his court of appeal—his mother. See also: high

in ˌhigh ˈdudgeon

(old-fashioned, written) in an angry or offended mood, and showing other people that you are angry: After being refused entry to the club, he went off in high dudgeon.See also: high

in high dudgeon

Angrily, resentfully, in a huff. The origin of dudgeon has been lost and today the word is never used except with high—never alone and not even with low. In use from about 1600 on, the term was a cliché by the time explorer David Livingstone wrote “He went off in high dudgeon” (The Zambezi and Its Tributaries, 1865). The phrase may be dying out.See also: high