rankle

American

[rang-kuhl] / ˈræŋ kəl /

verb (used without object)

rankled, rankling

(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

to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in.

His colleague's harsh criticism rankled him for days.

Synonyms:

chafe, gall, irritate

rankle British

/ ˈræŋkəl /

verb

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

his failure to win still rankles

"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

ranklingly adverb
unrankled adjective

Etymology

Origin of rankle

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

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.

The defeat and the nature of it will rankle, especially because she was considered a serious challenger for the title.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

It could also upset the stock market and rankle high-dollar corporate donors who need a reliable legal system to attract investors.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2025

That seemed to rankle several of the justices across ideological lines.

From Slate • Jan. 10, 2025

Winter has been unafraid to rankle city and county officials as she has criticized the status quo.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2024

I was proud of my sister, but that year, something began to rankle beneath the pride.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

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