rankle

verb
UK: /ˈræŋ.kəl/
US: /ˈræŋ.kəl/

  1. To cause anger or irritation that continues for a long time.

    1. The insult continues to rankle in his mind.
    2. The fact that she wasn't chosen for the team continued to rankle her for weeks afterwards.

  2. To cause someone to feel angry and annoyed.

    1. His constant complaining began to rankle me.
    2. The unfair criticism started to rankle, and she decided to confront the manager.

Synonyms

gall irritate chafe fester annoy
rankle noun

  1. A cause of persistent annoyance or resentment.

    1. The old injustice is a rankle still.
    2. The memory of the defeat remains a rankle in the team's otherwise successful season.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "rankle" in English means: To cause anger or irritation that continues for a long time., To cause someone to feel angry and annoyed..

The phonetic transcription of "rankle" is /ˈræŋ.kəl/ in British English and /ˈræŋ.kəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "rankle": gall, irritate, chafe, fester, annoy.

Example usage of "rankle": "The insult continues to rankle in his mind.". More examples on the page.