angrier or more angry

[chance22]

I had thought the comparative form of angry is "angrier" until I came across an article in which "more angry" is used. Are they both OK? Or one is more informally used? Looking forward to your help.

 

[nedira]

Both are fine.

 

[Nightmare85]

**Neither a teacher nor a native speaker.**

I'm sorry, but I don't see a reason why "more angry" should be right.
If it were an adverb, I would accept it, but it's only a one-syllable adjective.
angry -> angrier -> angriest
hungry -> hungrier -> hungriest.
fast -> faster -> fastest

difficult -> more difficult -> most difficult
(Because it's diffi-cult).

Of course everyone will understand you if you say "more angry", but I doubt it would let you look good.

Cheers!

 

[TheParser]

I had thought the comparative form of angry is "angrier" until I came across an article in which "more angry" is used. Are they both OK? Or one is more informally used? Looking forward to your help.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good afternoon, Chance22.

(1) I believe that speakers and writers often have a choice between using " -er " or "more."

(2) Sometimes it seems to depend on the sound of the adjective or the rhythm of the whole sentence.

(a) Tom is famouser/ more famous than Sue.

(i) I think most people prefer the sound of "more famous."

(3) Sometimes -- as you so correctly said -- it depends on how formal you want to be.

(a) One book gives this example:

(i) Tom is cleverer than Sue = informal.

(ii) Tom is more clever than Sue =formal.

(4) Another book reminds us that sometimes you CANNOT use -er.

(a) When you compare two descriptions of a person, you need "more":

(i) Tom is more lazy than stupid.

(a) You CANNOT say: Tom is lazier than stupid.

Therefore, I think that you would have to say:

I was more angry than embarrassed. (NOT: I was angrier than embarrassed.)

(5) Sometimes it is your choice. You may choose the one that sounds "smoother" to your ears:

(a) Don't say that to Tom. It will only make him angrier/ more angry.

Which one do you prefer? (I prefer "angrier")

(b) Why are you so calm and quiet? I think that you should get angrier/ more angry about what they did to you.

Which one do you prefer? (I prefer "more angry")

Have a nice day!

 

[emsr2d2]

**Neither a teacher nor a native speaker.**

I'm sorry, but I don't see a reason why "more angry" should be right.
If it were an adverb, I would accept it, but it's only a one-syllable adjective.
angry -> angrier -> angriest
hungry -> hungrier -> hungriest.
fast -> faster -> fastest

difficult -> more difficult -> most difficult
(Because it's diffi-cult).

Of course everyone will understand you if you say "more angry", but I doubt it would let you look good.

Cheers!

Angry is, in fact, a two-syllable adjective!!!

Anyway, I think it depends somewhat on context. I would say "He was much angrier than her" but "As the day wore on, I became more and more angry".

 

[Nightmare85]

Angry is, in fact, a two-syllable adjective!!!

Then difficult would be a three-syllable word, which is wrong ;-)
It's diffi-cult, not dif-fi-cult.
So it's also hungry, and not hung-ry.
(And of course angry, not ang-ry).

Cheers!

 

[emsr2d2]

Then difficult would be a three-syllable word, which is wrong ;-)
It's diffi-cult, not dif-fi-cult.
So it's also hungry, and not hung-ry.
(And of course angry, not ang-ry).

Cheers!

I'm afraid not. You are wrong on all counts. I'm not sure if someone has explained the meaning of "syllables" wrongly to you at some point.

Angry and hungry both have 2 syllables (An-gry and hun-gry)
Difficult does indeed have 3 syllables (Di-ffi-cult).

One syllable words have literally just one sound that you make all in one go:

Fast
Are
Am
Car
Bus
Tip
All

Etc etc, I could go on for hours.

 

[Nightmare85]

I don't know, emsr2d2.
Look:
There are plenty of such words.
happy -> happier -> happiest
lucky -> luckier -> luckiest
(I bet you'll find them in every dictionary.)
hungry, angry etc. simply belong to them.
Adjectives

Maybe we take this "one-syllable" rule too accurate.
Or maybe it's not the only rule?

About "more angry":
Yes, I think it depends on context.
"Tom is more angry than stupid" - similar to Parser's version.
(But to be honest: I could not explain it very well.)

Cheers!

 

[yuriya]

I was just about to say that syllable counts are equal to the number of vowels in a word before I actually checked my Oxford dictionary. Clearly, I've been in the wrong. As Nightmare85 illustrates, words ending in consonant + y (angry/lucky/happy etc) are in fact one syllable shorter than expected. I'm curious to hear what others in the know have to say about this.

 

[tedtmc]

I don't think there are hard and fast rules about this.
I'd say use whichever word that sounds better to you in a sentence.
Of course the long the word get, it becomes awkward to use the '-er'.
Still, I've come across words like 'pleasanter'.

not a teacher

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't know, emsr2d2.
Look:
There are plenty of such words.
happy -> happier -> happiest
lucky -> luckier -> luckiest
(I bet you'll find them in every dictionary.)
hungry, angry etc. simply belong to them.
Adjectives

Maybe we take this "one-syllable" rule too accurate.
Or maybe it's not the only rule?

About "more angry":
Yes, I think it depends on context.
"Tom is more angry than stupid" - similar to Parser's version.
(But to be honest: I could not explain it very well.)

Cheers!

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I wasn't attaching any rule about whether to use "more + adj" or "adj + er" to the syllable question. In my original reply I simply gave an example of a context where I would use "angrier" and one where I would be more likely to use "more angry". I believe that both are perfectly acceptable.

I'm well aware that dictionaries etc would show "angry - angrier - angriest" etc!!!

The syllable count question was unrelated to the adjective rule. I was simply trying to correct your incorrect belief that "angry" is a one-syllable word. It is not. It is a two-syllable word. I think that the discussion about syllables has detracted somewhat from the original question.