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
Etymology
Origin of rile
First recorded in 1815–25; variant of roil
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
“Basically, Megan was like, ‘What’s the performance of your generation that would rile everyone up?’
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2024
Why do you leave out the parts of your story that could rile up an audience?
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
