roil

[ roil ]

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

verb (used without object)

1. to move or proceed turbulently.

roil

/ 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

Other Words From

• un·roiled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of roil¹

First recorded in 1580–90; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of roil¹

C16: of unknown origin; compare rile

Example Sentences

As the wind began to roar and the bay started to roil, Madison decided to flee.

From Salon

It’s all designed to make our stomachs roil, and it definitely does.

From Salon

Curbing the central bank’s ability to set interest rates without direct White House influence would be legally and politically tricky, and tinkering with the Fed so overtly could roil the very stock markets that Mr. Trump has frequently used as a yardstick for his success.

From New York Times

This boiling region is called the "convection zone," where layers and plumes of plasma roil and flow.

From Science Daily

Mr. Biden’s address also comes as protests against Israel’s war in Gaza roil college campuses, with students demanding that the Biden administration stop sending weapons to Israel.

From New York Times

Related Words

• muddy
• rile
• stir