You are indignant when you are angry and surprised, because something felt insulting or unfair. It is not just a bad mood. There is a “How dare they?” inside it — a feeling that you, or someone else, was not treated with the respect that was due. It is a little formal, and a little proud. Children say angry or mad; indignant is the word in stories and news when the anger has a moral edge. A person can look indignant, sound indignant, or write an indignant letter. Though actually, other people may not agree that the insult was real. Indignant describes how you feel about the slight, not a court’s answer. Someone can be sincerely indignant over a small thing, and we still use the word.