rankle
verb (used without object)
(of unpleasant feelings, experiences, etc.) to continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful.
rankled
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past participleof rankle.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof rankle.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
rankleverb (used without object)(of unpleasant feelings, experiences, etc.) to continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful.
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.
In the first few weeks of the program, Nvidia rankled some of its potential partners with the extent of control it sought, some of the people familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
We lead today with new reporting on the unraveling of Situational Awareness, detailing how its wunderkind founder Leopold Aschenbrenner forged close ties with tech’s top players even as he rankled some of his own bosses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
In one season under Walter, season-ticket price increases rankled Lakers fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
What really rankled, they said, was that there had been no consultation about placing migrants at the base – or in the town.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
It rankled in him, the way Dick mouthed those two words, as though they solved every problem; it was stupid not to admit that there might be a witness they hadn’t seen.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
