: to arouse to sharp but transitory annoyance or anger
Did you know?
If you've ever brushed against nettles, you know those weeds have sharp bristles that can leave you smarting and itching. The painful and irritating rash that nettles cause can last for days, but at least it is a rash with a linguistic silver lining. The discomfort caused by nettles can serve to remind one that the verb nettle is a synonym of irritate. Nettle originated as a plant name that we can trace to the Old English word netel. Eventually, people likened the nagging itch caused by the plant to the nagging aggravation of being annoyed, and nettle became a synonym of vex, peeve, and of course irritate.
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 nettle in a Sentence
Verb
The mayor's recent actions have nettled some members of the community.
It nettles him that his younger coworker got a promotion before he did.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The drinks feature, say, Armagnac and pear brandy, and the food takes bistro classics like roast chicken and beef tartare and electrifies them with entrenched Washington State ingredients like nettles and mussels.—Scott Hocker, theweek, 10 June 2024 Her memoir alternates between vignettes of this restoration process—from uprooting obnoxious nettles to planting floors of wallflowers—and thoughtful research on the cultural significance of reconstructing Eden.—Maddie Bender, Scientific American, 14 May 2024 As the sky turns purple-ish, Ellen cheerily serves foraged nettle and spinach soup; chanterelle, ricotta and sage ravioli; and a creamy take on the local dessert of blueberries with milk and sugar, washed down with schnapps infused with mugwort and dill.—Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 June 2023 Star Ingredients: Wild nettle, niacinamide, rambutan | Size: 30ml
What is Rambutan?—Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 8 May 2024 One of those irritations is stinging nettle rash—a rash that comes from contact with a stinging nettle plant.—Emilia Benton, Health, 11 Jan. 2024 Some examples of alteratives include nettle, dandelion leaf and root, burdock root, violet, calendula, and red clover.—Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024 Here is a record of passing as nettles vibrate and pinecones drop.—John Kinsella, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023 These soft chews contain a blend of natural ingredients, including nettle leaf, perilla leaf, and quercetin, which work together to support a healthy immune system and ease allergy symptoms.—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2023
Verb
Above all else, this genre nettles the record labels, who view it as an encroachment on their property.—WIRED, 6 Nov. 2023 The narrators of these stories are crotchety, easily nettled by the behaviors of other passengers.—Jasmine Liu, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023 This year, Schaefer, who is chairman of the Texas Freedom Caucus, which has nettled GOP speakers in the past, is author of HB 20.—Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2023 In the years that followed, Bobby Sproul, who died in 2002 at 86, would continue to have the kind of success that apparently had nettled Link Williams.—oregonlive, 15 Feb. 2023 Gorky’s privileged presence began to nettle Stalin.—Algis Valiunas, National Review, 31 Mar. 2022 The pastrami dog is on the lunch menu and only nettling the dining room between 11 AM and 9 PM each day.—Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, 12 July 2018 Questions about alternative facts and relative truths have been nettling me for decades.—Errol Morris, Time, 22 May 2018 Shame nettles over Rae’s skull like a tight red cap.—Karen Russell, The New Yorker, 4 June 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nettle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Old English netel; akin to Old High German nazza nettle, Greek adikē
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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