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Synonyms

rankle

American  
[rang-kuhl] / ˈræŋ kəl /

verb (used without object)

rankled, rankling

  1. (of unpleasant feelings, experiences, etc.) to continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful.

    Synonyms:
    chafe, gall, irritate

verb (used with object)

rankled, rankling

  1. to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in.

    His colleague's harsh criticism rankled him for days.
    Synonyms:
    chafe, gall, irritate
rankle British  
/ ˈræŋkəl /

verb

  1. (intr) to cause severe and continuous irritation, anger, or bitterness; fester

    his failure to win still rankles
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • ranklingly adverb
  • unrankled adjective

Etymology

Origin of rankle

1250–1300; Middle English ranclen < Middle French rancler, Old French raoncler, variant of draoncler to fester, derivative of draoncle a sore < Late Latin dracunculus small serpent, diminutive of Latin dracō serpent; dragon, carbuncle

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.

The defeat and the nature of it will rankle, especially because she was considered a serious challenger for the title.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

It could also upset the stock market and rankle high-dollar corporate donors who need a reliable legal system to attract investors.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2025

That seemed to rankle several of the justices across ideological lines.

From Slate • Jan. 10, 2025

By the time Boyle was released in 1980, he had also become a bestselling author, - but the controversy over the special unit had started to rankle with elements of the Scottish public.

From BBC • Oct. 6, 2024

This time “the stare” began to rankle him.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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.