rancor

noun

ran·​cor ˈraŋ-kər How to pronounce rancor (audio)
-ˌkȯr
: bitter deep-seated ill will
Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

a natural antipathy for self-seekers
antagonism between the brothers

animosity suggests intense ill will and vindictiveness that threaten to kindle hostility.

animosity that led to revenge

rancor is especially applied to bitter brooding over a wrong.

rancor filled every line of his letters

animus adds to animosity the implication of strong prejudice.

objections devoid of personal animus

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 on the Web When Keiko shows up to retrieve her daughter, there is no rancor. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Feb. 2024 Apple edited out references to the former president, perhaps attempting to deescalate De Niro’s divisive rancor, and that version was uploaded to the teleprompter at Cipriani’s, the Wall Street area restaurant where the awards ceremony took place. Armond White, National Review, 6 Dec. 2023 In this disunity, there are echoes of the late 1960s, when widespread rancor over the escalation of the Vietnam War doomed Lyndon Johnson’s presidency and fueled Richard Nixon’s ascent. Ross Barkan, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has completed the purchase of a stake in Manchester United, defeating rival bids from petro-states and hedge funds and ending a bidding war marked by hype and rancor. Giles Turner, Fortune Europe, 25 Dec. 2023 In recent years an assemblage of liberal writers has argued that Congress’s troubles began with the partisan rancor of House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1995—curiously, the first year since 1954 in which the House was not controlled by Democrats. Barton Swaim, WSJ, 6 Dec. 2023 Michael, a proud Millburn resident who grew up in Newark and is full of racist rancor over what happened to the city after the 1967 riots, takes his job seriously to the point of fanaticism. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023 South Korean politics have become increasingly polarized in recent years, and rancor between Mr. Yoon’s supporters and Mr. Lee’s has been rising with the approach of parliamentary elections in April. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2024 Dickering over titles will only validate the role the other man-parent has apparently carved out for himself: nice guy, rescuer of your ex from the bad guy (a.k.a. you), protector of your daughter from ongoing ex-marital rancor. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rancor.' 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

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rancor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rancor

Cite this Entry

“Rancor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rancor. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rancor

noun
ran·​cor ˈraŋ-kər How to pronounce rancor (audio)
: deep hatred
rancorous
-k(ə-)rəs
adjective
rancorously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on rancor

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