rancor

noun

ran·​cor ˈraŋ-kər 

-ˌkȯr

: bitter deep-seated ill will

Synonyms

• hostility
• grudge
• bitterness
• hatred

Choose the Right Synonym for rancor

enmity, hostility, antipathy, antagonism, animosity, rancor, animus mean deep-seated dislike or ill will.

enmity suggests positive hatred which may be open or concealed.

an unspoken enmity

hostility suggests an enmity showing itself in attacks or aggression.

hostility between the two nations

antipathy and antagonism imply a natural or logical basis for one's hatred or dislike, antipathy suggesting repugnance, a desire to avoid or reject, and antagonism suggesting a clash of temperaments leading readily to hostility.

a natural antipathy for self-seekers

antagonism between the brothers

animosity suggests intense ill will and vindictiveness that threaten to kindle hostility.

animosity that led to revenge

rancor is especially applied to bitter brooding over a wrong.

rancor filled every line of his letters

animus adds to animosity the implication of strong prejudice.

objections devoid of personal animus

Examples of rancor in a Sentence

She answered her accusers calmly and without rancor.

In the end, the debate created a degree of rancor among the committee members.

Recent Examples on the Web

However, RedZone host Scott Hanson’s mention of ads while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show Wednesday sparked Reddit rancor and X acrimony, with some number of fans coming to believe—falsely—that the ads would be more disruptive than those trials and that ESPN was behind the change. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2025

In 2022, the two were at the firm ValueAct, which pushed the Times to make better use of its bundle and products, without much of the public rancor or knife-twisting that usually accompanies activist fights. —Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Bell, whose office didn’t immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on Wednesday, thanked attendees with a post on the social platform X acknowledging the rancor. —Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 20 Aug. 2025

That rancor combined with Nazi flags will never not be disorienting to anyone who knows what the Thousand-Year Reich that lasted for twelve years inflicted on the world. —Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rancour, from Anglo-French rancur, from Late Latin rancor rancidity, rancor, from Latin rancēre

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rancor

• anchor
• anker
• banker
• canker
• hanker
• shanker
• tanker

Kids Definition

rancor

noun

ran·​cor ˈraŋ-kər 

: deep hatred

rancorous

-k(ə-)rəs

adjective

rancorously adverb