rancor

noun ran·cor \ ˈraŋ-kər , -ˌkȯr \

Updated on: 22 Jan 2018

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Definition of rancor

: bitter deep-seated ill will

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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 of rancor from the Web

Despite the rancor, a majority of city council members ultimately agreed to sell the golf course to the park district for $500,000 so the district could proceed with plans for the nature preserve.

— karen berkowitz, chicagotribune.com, "Highland Park's 2017 in review: Dist. 112 takes first steps toward reorganization, tackle football is scrapped," 22 Dec. 2017
Ingraham pressed Thomas at the end of the interview about the rancor in today's society and the controversy concerning NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem.

— CNN, "In rare interview, Clarence Thomas calls Gorsuch 'outstanding'," 2 Nov. 2017
The tone of the times being rancor and rage, an elf with a clipboard can serve as a sage.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "'A Christmas in need of coal' | A holiday poem from Tim Sullivan," 24 Dec. 2017
After all the accusations and rancor, the voters will finally have their say today in Alabama's contentious Senate race.

— doug criss, CNN, "5 things for December 12: Alabama election, New York blast, harassment, space, movies," 12 Dec. 2017
That’s a striking turnaround for a region that plunged, after the global financial crisis, into its own sovereign debt turmoil, political rancor, record unemployment and near-deflation that threatened the very survival of the currency union.

— Bloomberg.com, "Your Evening Briefing," 13 Nov. 2017
The hope, in Trump circles anyway, was that Cruz would step up to the microphone Wednesday night and put to rest any rumor of division or rancor, a hope Cruz toyed with for the duration of his address.

— Longreads, "The RNC, Revisited," 31 Oct. 2017
In an otherwise somnolent campaign marked by little disagreement or rancor, the AfD’s campaign posters were inflammatory.

— griff witte, Washington Post, "Germany votes as Merkel bids for a fourth term, far-right eyes seats in parliament," 24 Sep. 2017
The channel would build its brand on the rancor of the disenfranchised, a public itch for tabloid stories and a moral seething about the Clintons and the culture’s progressive drift.

— david friend, Newsweek, "Before Trump Was President, Online Sex Videos, Bill Clinton and the Naughty '90s Changed America," 7 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rancor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rancor

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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rancor Synonyms

Synonyms

animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, enmity

Antonyms

amity

Near Antonyms

amiability, amicability, civility, cordiality, friendliness, hospitality, neighborliness; comity, empathy, friendship, goodwill, sympathy, understanding

Synonym Discussion of 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.