galling

adjective

gall·​ing ˈgȯ-liŋ 

: markedly irritating : vexing

a most galling defeat

gallingly

ˈgȯ-liŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of galling

• frustrating
• annoying
• irritating
• disturbing

Examples of galling in a Sentence

This is a galling defeat.

her holier-than-thou attitude is galling

Recent Examples on the Web

But to have the hypocrisy be laid out so starkly, just a few clicks away on the same website, is particularly galling. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026

None of the Tensor chips are particularly good at rendering complex in-game worlds, but that’s more galling for phones that cost $1,000. — ArsTechnica, 4 Mar. 2026

Especially galling is how the state Democratic Party has done next to nothing to help Latinos become household names who can win. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Early reviews of the series, including ours from Ben Travers, pointed out some of the more galling characterizations of Hannah within the show. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of gall entry 2

First Known Use

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