rankle
(of unpleasant feelings, experiences, etc.) to continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful.
to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in: His colleague's harsh criticism rankled him for days.
Origin of rankle
1Other words for rankle
Other words from rankle
- ran·kling·ly, adverb
- un·ran·kled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use rankle in a sentence
To add to the discomfort the crew of the "Royal Oak" were rankling under a grievance.
The Dreadnought of the Air | Percy F. WestermanSlaughter looked at him, his rage still rankling and burning.
Colonial Born | G. Firth ScottThe further resistance came, whether from rivals, or from the rankling anger in Elizabeth's breast.
Sir Walter Ralegh | William StebbingSomewhere, somehow, he had taken a cynic twist or a rankling wound that had turned his white man's blood once for all.
Where the Pavement Ends | John RussellStill rankling in Hannah's memory was a day when Lise had returned from school, dark and mutinous, with a tale of such a family.
The Dwelling Place of Light, Complete | Winston Churchill
British Dictionary definitions for rankle
/ (ˈræŋkəl) /
(intr) to cause severe and continuous irritation, anger, or bitterness; fester: his failure to win still rankles
Origin of rankle
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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