roil

American  

[roil] / rɔɪl /

verb (used with object)

1. to render (water, wine, etc.) turbid by stirring up sediment.

2. to disturb or disquiet; irritate; vex.

   to be roiled by a delay.

   Synonyms:

   rile, provoke, exasperate, ruffle, fret, annoy

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verb (used without object)

1. to move or proceed turbulently.

roil British  

/ rɔɪl /

verb

1. (tr) to make (a liquid) cloudy or turbid by stirring up dregs or sediment

2. (intr) (esp of a liquid) to be agitated or disturbed

3. dialect (intr) to be noisy or boisterous

4. (tr) another word (now rare) for rile

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Other Word Forms

• unroiled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of roil

First recorded in 1580–90; origin uncertain

Explanation

To roil means to stir up or churn. A stormy ocean might roil, or even a restless crowd. The word roil is often confused with rile, which has a slightly different meaning. If you roil someone you're stirring them up but not necessarily annoying them. To rile someone is to deliberately provoke or antagonize them. Usually there's no roiling without riling. Muhammad Ali roiled much of America when he refused to be drafted for the Vietnam War.

Example Sentences

Other political issues besides war could roil markets.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Besides stealing potential Wall Street customers, bucket shops could roil the capital markets.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Eurozone finance ministers raised expectations for higher prices and lowered them for economic growth this year as the Iran war continues to roil energy markets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Up to 31,000 healthcare professionals in California and Hawaii are involved in the strike, which is the second to roil the medical provider in recent months.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

Aron was caught in the roil of change too, but his impulses were more sluggish than Cal’s.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• muddy
• rile
• stir