Synonyms of rankling

rankling 1 of 2

adjective

as in irritating

causing annoyance

for some air travelers, the most rankling aspect of the security measures seems to be the restrictions regarding carry-on baggage

Synonyms & Similar Words

• irritating
• annoying
• frustrating
• disturbing
• aggravating
• vexing
• irksome
• exasperating
• maddening
• vexatious
• galling
• bothersome
• nettlesome
• pesky
• painful
• nettling
• pestiferous
• pestilential
• plaguy
• abrasive
• riling
• carking
• chafing
• peeving
• plaguey
• rebarbative
• pesty
• pestilent
• distractive
• biting
• importunate
• troubling
• troublesome
• displeasing
• infuriating
• burdensome
• discomforting
• disquieting
• distressing
• mischievous
• upsetting
• stressful
• offensive
• tiresome
• angering
• importune
• enraging
• worrisome
• trying
• inconveniencing
• thorny
• spiny
• brattish
• jarring
• bratty
• grating
• jangling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• delightful
• pleasing

rankling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of rankle

1

as in raging

to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger

that kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• raging
• steaming
• burning
• boiling
• seething
• storming
• fuming
• foaming
• shaking
• agitating
• sizzling
• fulminating
• ranting
• seeing red
• bristling
• smouldering
• inflaming
• raving
• smoldering
• enflaming
• stewing
• roiling
• chafing
• fretting
• flaring (up)
• convulsing

2

as in angering

to make angry

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• angering
• infuriating
• enraging
• outraging
• annoying
• irritating
• inflaming
• riling
• roiling
• enflaming
• incensing
• offending
• maddening
• iring
• madding
• aggravating
• provoking
• ticking off
• nettling
• vexing
• steaming up
• affronting
• ruffling
• exasperating
• miffing
• piquing
• huffing
• getting
• burning (up)
• antagonizing
• peeving
• embittering
• getting one's goat
• rubbing the wrong way
• crossing
• putting out
• envenoming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gratifying
• pleasing
• relieving
• delighting
• allaying
• comforting
• soothing
• consoling
• assuaging
• appeasing
• settling
• placating
• conciliating
• quieting
• pacifying
• calming
• charming
• mollifying
• disarming
• captivating
• bewitching
• enchanting
• lulling
• beguiling