rankle

verb

ran·kle ˈraŋ-kəl

rankled; rankling ˈraŋ-k(ə-)liŋ

Synonyms of rankle next

intransitive verb

: to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness

: to feel anger and irritation

transitive verb

: to cause irritation or bitterness in

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The Connection Between Rankle and Dragon

When rankle was first used in English, it meant "to fester," and that meaning is related to French words referring to a sore and tracing to Latin dracunculus. The Latin is from draco, the word for a serpent and the source of English's dragon. The transition from serpents to sores is apparently from people associating the appearance of certain ulcers or tumors to small serpents.

Examples of rankle in a Sentence

The joke about her family rankled her. that kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Price’s continued presence within the district attorney’s office has rankled those who led the charge to recall her. —

Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024 Garman’s comments further rankled Amazon employees. —

Annie Palmer, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024 But voters in the world’s fourth-largest economy have been rankled by rising prices and the fallout from a party slush fund scandal that helped sink previous premier Fumio Kishida. —

Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2024 Manny Pelaez: The Northwest Side councilmember and attorney, who will also reach his term limit, is an outspoken official who has rankled political progressives. —

Megan Stringer, Axios, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rankle

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ranclen to fester, from Anglo-French rancler, from Old French draoncler, raoncler, from draoncle, raoncle festering sore, from Medieval Latin dracunculus, from Latin, diminutive of draco serpent — more at dragon

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of rankle was in 1606

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Style

“Rankle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rankle. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

rankle

verb

ran·kle ˈraŋ-kəl

rankled; rankling -k(ə-)liŋ

: to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness

Etymology

Middle English ranclen "to fester," from early French rancler (same meaning), derived from earlier draoncle, raoncle "a festering sore," from Latin dracunculus "little serpent, little dragon," from earlier draco "serpent, dragon," from Greek drākon "serpent, dragon" — related to dragon

Word Origin

The Greek word drakōn, meaning "serpent, dragon," was borrowed into Latin as draco. Later, the noun dracunculus, meaning "little serpent," was formed from draco. The French borrowed this noun as draoncle or raoncle but used it for "a festering sore or ulcer." It seems that the form of such a sore looked something like the form of a small serpent. From the noun the French formed the verb rancler, "to fester." In the 14th century, the verb was taken into English as rankle, with the same meaning. Our word dragon also comes from the Greek drakōn by way of the Latin draco.

Last Updated: 29 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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rankle

verb

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Synonyms

Examples of rankle in a Sentence

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