rankle

[rang-kuhl]

verb (used without object)

rankled, rankling 

1. (of unpleasant feelings, experiences, etc.) to continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful.

   Synonyms: chafe, gall, irritate

verb (used with object)

rankled, rankling 

1. to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in.

   His colleague's harsh criticism rankled him for days.

   Synonyms: chafe, gall, irritate

rankle

/ ˈræŋkəl /

verb

1. (intr) to cause severe and continuous irritation, anger, or bitterness; fester

   his failure to win still rankles

Other Word Forms

• ranklingly adverb
• unrankled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rankle¹

1250–1300; Middle English ranclen < Middle French rancler, Old French raoncler, variant of draoncler to fester, derivative of draoncle a sore < Late Latin dracunculus small serpent, diminutive of Latin dracō serpent; dragon, carbuncle

Word History and Origins

Origin of rankle¹

C14 ranclen , from Old French draoncler to fester, from draoncle ulcer, from Latin dracunculus small serpent, from dracō serpent; see _dragon

Example Sentences

It was the public support and undeserved prestige that rankled.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Collinsworth has successfully walked that line of being candid yet not crass, to always speak his mind even though his opinions often rankles fans of all 32 teams.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

His campaign pledges to raise taxes on corporations and the city’s wealthiest while freezing rents on apartments have rankled Wall Street and real-estate executives.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His subsequent booking for next year's Super Bowl rankled some US conservatives.

Read more on BBC

That voter rebuke rankled Mr. Erdoğan, who rose to political prominence in that same Istanbul office.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• anger 
• bother 
• embitter 
• exasperate 
• gall 
• harass 
• hurt 
• inflame 
• irk 
• rile 
• torment 
• vex