verb
-
to annoy or anger; irritate
-
to stir up or agitate (water, etc); roil or make turbid
Etymology
Origin of rile
First recorded in 1815–25; variant of roil
Explanation
To rile someone is to annoy or bother them. For example, a friend might rile you by constantly texting when you're trying to have a conversation with her. You can also rile water, meaning you make it muddy by stirring it up. The verb rile is derived from roil, and they basically mean the same thing. However, rile is more commonly used to mean "annoy" and roil mostly describes stirred liquid. If you rile up your sister, what you say makes gets her worked up, ready to argue with you. When a kid splashes around in the tub, the water is roiled — but if it gets all over the floor, his parents will be riled.
Vocabulary lists containing rile
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Odyssey
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Japan votes in snap elections Sunday with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hoping to turn a honeymoon start into a resounding ballot box victory that could rile China and rattle financial markets.
From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026
Whatever you wish to call it - and let's stick with Bazball, because it seems to rile the Aussies - England's fresh approach has made them a force in Test cricket once more.
From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025
The 20-year-old rapper ian draws millions of listeners and has managed to rile up the internet in a way few rappers do.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
“I’ve never seen him to be vulgar. I’ve never seen him be disrespectful or rile people up against the law enforcement or ICE. No, he simply informs. The guy is a good man.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025
“That’s Hype though. Don’t let him rile you up too much. Just be yourself and say what you feel. All right?”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
