definitions

rankle

[ rang-kuhl ]
/ ˈræŋ kəl /
||

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.

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RELATED WORDS

embitter, exasperate, inflame, bother, harass, vex, hurt, gall, rile, irk, torment, anger, chafe, fester, aggravate, pain, pester, nettle, plague, mortify

Nearby words

rankine scale, rankine, william john macquorn, ranking, ranking member, rankism, rankle, rankly, rankshift, ransack, ransom, ransom, john crowe

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; see dragon, carbuncle
SYNONYMS FOR rankle
1, 2 irritate, gall, chafe.
Related formsran·kling·ly, adverbun·ran·kled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rankled

British Dictionary definitions for rankled

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