verb
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to annoy or anger; irritate
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to stir up or agitate (water, etc); roil or make turbid
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rilesimple
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rilessimple
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have riledperfect
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has riledperfect
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am rilingprogressive
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are rilingprogressive
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is rilingprogressive
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have been rilingperfect progressive
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has been rilingperfect progressive
Past
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riledsimple
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had riledperfect
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was rilingprogressive
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were rilingprogressive
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had been rilingperfect progressive
Future
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
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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The Odyssey
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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.
See Examples For:
Fisher says he didn’t want to rile them by suggesting it was better for them, more reflective of their ability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
Fears of possible US military action continued to rile the region.
From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 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
In addition to public outrage, defiance of the courts could rile the courts themselves — including the Supreme Court.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2025
“I just hope this visit from M-O-M doesn’t rile them up.”
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Lalas, never timid about a brash, attention-seeking rant, riles up TV audiences in a way that makes Stephen A. Smith resemble Mr. Rogers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
In this case, the bait caused a stir in the sharks, similar to how catnip riles up felines.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 26, 2023
In passing the verdict the court was guided by "not only the prescribed norms and riles, but the main, inviolable principle of justice".
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2022
A terrifically written scene at a bar where Mona riles up patrons to belt out “O Canada” with drunken patriotism stands as both hilarious and telling of the identity limbo the twins inhabit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2022
I scowl at him, but scowling at him only ever riles him up.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Earlier this month, the 56-year-old riled up New Zealand's business community after a speech calling on small business owners to "be adult".
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
After Meta said it was developing battlefield technology for American soldiers, Bosworth joined the Army Reserve, a move he acknowledged riled some colleagues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
Or you can get riled up with impatience, jealousy and/or dismay with a self-confessed couple who has everything, including $6 million set aside for retirement, and still want advice.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
In a city that’s been ravaged by fires, ICE raids and a series of entertainment industry layoffs, the sold-out crowd of nearly 300 was riled up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
“Well, we’re going to swing by tomorrow, keep an eye on things. No lead on the person who carved that word. But with the eggs, and people just generally riled, and the cut-down...”
From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate
And Mainers have spoken about his talent for riling up a crowd with an uncommon magnetism.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
The “overtourism” that irks residents of Venice and Barcelona is also riling locals in Osaka and Kyoto, where kimono-clad visitors clog the streets and temples to secure their snapshots for social media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025
That weekend, “60 Minutes” ran its report on Trump and the law firms, riling Redstone and others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2025
Hogan is a professional wrestler, an expert at riling up crowds over nonsense.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2024
My butterflies, their wings inky red, flap furiously, riling up a storm.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
