galling

1 of 2

adjective

gall·​ing ˈgȯ-liŋ 

: markedly irritating : vexing

a most galling defeat

gallingly

ˈgȯ-liŋ-lē 

adverb

galling

2 of 2

present participle of gall entry 2

Synonyms of galling

Adjective

• frustrating
• annoying
• irritating
• disturbing

Examples of galling in a Sentence

Adjective

This is a galling defeat.

her holier-than-thou attitude is galling

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

What made the Trojans’ previous losses so galling was the gauntlet ahead of them, starting with Ohio State. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

Instead of establishing a vast mystery for their movie to explore, Osder and Youmans — one of them Jewish, the other a Palestinian-American — give shape to the galling absence of one. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026

Today, Microsoft rolled out those a la carte Cloud Playtime purchases to Xbox Insiders, with prices that might be a bit galling for players who have already purchased these streamable games. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026

Among the many glaring issues coming out of the opener, the offense’s inability to sustain drives was particularly galling. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of gall entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

1583, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for galling

• balling
• bawling
• brawling
• calling
• colling
• crawling
• drawling
• falling
• hauling
• lolling
• spalling
• sprawling

Kids Definition

galling

adjective

gall·​ing ˈgȯ-liŋ 

: very irritating : vexing