rile

verb

ˈrī(-ə)l 

riled; riling

transitive verb

1

: to make agitated and angry : upset

Her comments riled the professor.

2

: roil sense 1

Synonyms of rile

• annoy
• irritate
• bother
• persecute
• bug

Choose the Right Synonym for rile

irritate, exasperate, nettle, provoke, rile, peeve mean to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance.

irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.

constant nagging that irritated me greatly

exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.

his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions

nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.

your pompous attitude nettled several people

provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.

remarks made solely to provoke her

rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.

the new work schedules riled the employees

peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.

a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

Examples of rile in a Sentence

Her comments riled the professor.

one sure way to rile me is to keep yelling for me

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather than being riled into playing at a higher level, Spain sunk into self-pity mode. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 18 July 2026

This riled up the Kremlin, which works to create a perception of total support for Putin among the voting public. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 17 July 2026

As Poseidon riles up the seas to keep the Greek war hero and his men far from Ithaca, Athena offers Odysseus guidance and protection, while doing the same for his son, Telemachus. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026

Its reporting angered not only other Arab leaders, sometimes to the point of diplomatic rupture, but also riled Washington. — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

variant of roil

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rile

• aisle
• bile
• chyle
• file
• guile
• heil
• isle
• kyle
• mile
• pile
• smile
• stile

Kids Definition

rile

verb

ˈrī(ə)l 

riled; riling

1

: to make angry

2

: roil sense 1