rancour

British

/ ˈræŋkə /

noun

malicious resentfulness or hostility; spite

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

rancorous adjective
rancorously adverb
rancorousness noun

Etymology

Origin of rancour

C14: from Old French, from Late Latin rancor rankness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With emotion can come suspicion, bitterness and rancour.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

Wales have now won only two of their past 24 Test matches, while the domestic game is racked with uncertainty and rancour as the Welsh Rugby Union attempt to restructure four regional sides.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

It was all a far cry from the rancour that was exposed at Elland Road on Saturday night.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

The Radical Road was fenced off and years of rancour and indecision about reopening it have followed.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Her voice was cold, but the rancour was gone from it.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023