rankle
[ rang-kuhl ]
/ ˈræŋ kəl /
Save This Word!
verb (used without object), ran·kled, ran·kling.
(of unpleasant feelings, experiences, etc.) to continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful.
verb (used with object), ran·kled, ran·kling.
to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in: His colleague's harsh criticism rankled him for days.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of rankle
OTHER WORDS FROM rankle
ran·kling·ly, adverbun·ran·kled, adjectiveWords nearby rankle
Rankine scale, ranking, ranking member, Rankin, Jeanette, rankism, rankle, rank scale, rankshift, ransack, ransom, Ransome
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for rankle
British Dictionary definitions for rankle
rankle
/ (ˈræŋkəl) /
verb
(intr) to cause severe and continuous irritation, anger, or bitterness; festerhis failure to win still rankles
Word Origin for rankle
C14 ranclen, from Old French draoncler to fester, from draoncle ulcer, from Latin dracunculus small serpent, from dracō serpent; see dragon
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