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.
to outrage
To cause strong moral indignation or anger in someone.
Seine respektlose Aussage empörte die gesamte Versammlung.
His disrespectful statement outraged the entire assembly.
to rebel
To rise up against a ruling power or authority; to begin an uprising. This meaning is more historical or literary.
Das Volk empörte sich gegen den tyrannischen Herrscher.
The people rebelled against the tyrannical ruler.
'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 upset / excite
Aufregen and empören can both trigger a strong negative reaction. Empören is appropriate when something is judged to be morally wrong or unjust. Aufregen describes strong emotional agitation or anger more generally and does not require a moral judgment.
Die ungerechte Behandlung der Musiker empörte viele Besucher.
The unfair treatment of the musicians outraged many attendees.
Die unerwartete Absage des Konzerts regte viele Besucher auf.
The concert's unexpected cancellation upset many attendees.
