rancor
Americannoun
Related Words
See malevolence.
Other Word Forms
- rancored adjective
- unrancored adjective
Etymology
Origin of rancor
1175–1225; Middle English rancour, from Middle French, from Late Latin rancōr- (stem of rancor ) “rancidity,” equivalent to Latin ranc(ēre) ( rancid ) + -ōr- -or 1
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.
Mr. Stiles writes in admiring notes that acknowledge without rancor the great man’s flaws.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
You have two choices after that: Mention it in a review — factually and without rancor — or contact the Airbnb Resolution Center.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
Some supporters of Ken Paxton think that rancor is more important.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
The case against her was threadbare, a product of postwar rancor, false testimony and manipulative journalists who had preyed on her naivete.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025
As the cool breeze of night set in, neighboring families pulled up plastic lawn chairs to conduct “chair committee” and casually meander over the day’s events without rancor or argument or constant one- upmanship.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
