galling

[gaw-ling]

adjective

1. that galls; chafing; irritating; vexing.

   Synonyms: provoking, annoying

galling

/ ˈɡɔːlɪŋ /

adjective

1. irritating, exasperating, or bitterly humiliating

2. obsolete,  rubbing painfully; chafing

Other Word Forms

• gallingly adverb
• gallingness noun
• ungalling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of galling¹

First recorded in 1640–50; gall ² + -ing ²

Example Sentences

The most galling part of this defeat is what it could have done to Australia.

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Ms Dyson says she found the aftercare galling, and says this is commonplace for many women.

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As galling as it is to lose three games on home soil, this was an experience England needed before the World Cup.

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The concurrent spending on infrastructure was particularly galling to female athletes and some alumni, according to SwimSwam.

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It’s particularly galling to schools hovering on the line between good and great, because a program no longer needs to be great to get a shot at the national championship.

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