RANKLED Synonyms: 230 Similar and Opposite Words

rankled 1 of 2

adjective

as in angered

feeling or showing anger our supervisor was rankled by all the unexpected delays and problems we ran into

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rankled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of rankle

as in raged

to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger that kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in infuriated

to make angry it rankles me when some schools can't even afford paper and pencils for the students

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rankled

Verb

In one season under Walter, season-ticket price increases rankled Lakers fans. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 But solar expansion in South Georgia has rankled residents in some areas. — Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Adam Heimerman kept seeing the surveillance cameras on his way to work as a river guide in East Tennessee, and the sight rankled him. — Annie Gowen, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2026 Upon taking over as chairman, Tom Pohlad insisted the club needed to atone for a series of mistakes made by ownership over 2 1/2 years that rankled fans and players alike. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 When Epstein’s appointment was announced, his political leanings – his cover letter for the role laid out an explicitly conservative vision – as well as his relative lack of experience rankled many FIU law faculty members. — Austin Horn july 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026 That data wasn’t always included in the FDA scientists’ presentations — a decision that rankled some committee members. — Sara G. Miller, NBC news, 23 July 2026 But the guard rankled at the July 6 decision to pull her out of the starting lineup, blasting the move on social media and doubling down in an ensuing media availability in Phoenix. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026 The absence of any Greek actors in the principal cast of The Odyssey has rankled many who had hoped for prominent Greek representation in a foundational work of Greek literature. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rankled

Adjective

Police said the two male juveniles became angered when the other three would not take them to buy marijuana.

— Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Soon, the faces of the angered New York City citizens around her soften.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025

Definition of angered

Verb

But for the medieval and classics scholar in Kratz, the film invited questions and infuriated him at times.

— Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 18 Aug. 2026
Under its previous operator, Mountain View had been plagued by riots that drew negative press and infuriated locals.

— Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of infuriated

Adjective

Imagine the ripe smell of swamp-wet dogs, the acrid stench of overheated, enraged bear, the slippery warm blood of pack members already lost; the simply insufferable noise and confusion in that dank little hole.

— Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
As a consequence, Nadia’s enraged sponsors send her packing back to Europe.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of enraged

Verb

The sweet alliums are cooked with cilantro and extra-virgin olive oil until tender, then tucked into thin dumpling wrappers that are folded into half-moons and steamed for exactly 10 minutes — any longer and the dough could break.

— Warren Rojas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
There’s arguably nothing more annoying than rushing out the door to an event, only to realize your dress is wrinkled and needs to be steamed.

— Ali Faccenda, InStyle, 23 July 2026

Definition of steamed

Verb

That was Gardner’s first game with the Colts after being acquired from the New York Jets, and while Indy pulled out the OT victory, Gardner was still annoyed by some of the social media chatter afterward.

— James Boyd, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Millard was either won over by Makowsky’s passion or annoyed into agreement by his persistence.

— Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of annoyed

Adjective

But some of it is about the cultural change that people argue about, on their phones, with the other angry people that their algorithm has found for them.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Pretendian hunters tend to be painted as aggressive or angry, which ultimately serves to undermine their claims.

— Tommy Orange, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of angry

Verb

Young people armed with machetes stormed the site of the funeral, forcing the team to flee and injuring one member, a representative told the Associated Press.

— Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Jerusalem — Israeli settlers stormed a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank on Saturday and seized a home while its owner was inside in the latest brazen settler attack in the area.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of stormed

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“Rankled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rankled. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rankled

adjective

verb

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