to be outraged / to outrage
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to be outraged
To feel strong moral indignation or anger about something that one sees as unjust or wrong.
Die Bürger empörten sich über die Korruptionsvorwürfe gegen den Politiker.
The citizens were outraged by the corruption allegations against the politician.
'Empören' is an inseparable verb with the prefix 'emp-', which suggests an upward movement (as in 'empor' (upward)). So the word describes a 'surging up' of anger or an uprising in which people rise against something.
Die ungerechte Behandlung empörte die Mitarbeiter.
The unfair treatment outraged the employees.
The verb has two main uses: 'sich empören' (to be outraged) means that you yourself feel anger. 'Jemanden empören' (to outrage someone) means that something or some action triggers anger in another person.
Ich empöre mich über diese Verschwendung von Steuergeldern.
I am outraged by this waste of taxpayers' money.
If you want to express what someone is angry about, you use the preposition 'über' (about/over) with the accusative.
Viele Menschen empören sich über die hohen Preise.
Many people are outraged by the high prices.
In the historical meaning 'sich auflehnen' (to rebel/rise up), the preposition 'gegen' (against) is used with the accusative. This usage is rare today and is mostly found in literary or historical texts.
Die Bauern empörten sich gegen die neuen Gesetze des Königs.
The peasants rebelled against the king's new laws.
to shock
'schockieren' and 'empören' both describe a strong negative reaction. The difference lies in the feeling. 'schockieren' is used when something is very unexpected and frightens, horrifies, or leaves someone speechless. 'empören' has more to do with anger about something that one considers unjust or wrong. You can be outraged by a decision, but terrible news can shock you. The words can overlap when a piece of news seems both surprising and morally wrong. That is why learners can easily confuse them. Memory tip: 'schockieren' emphasizes shock or fright, while 'empören' emphasizes moral anger.
Viele Mitarbeiter empören sich über die ungerechte Behandlung.
Many employees are outraged by the unfair treatment.
Die plötzliche Nachricht vom Unfall schockierte die ganze Familie.
The sudden news of the accident shocked the whole family.