riled; riling

transitive verb

1
: to make agitated and angry : upset
2
Choose the Right Synonym for rile

irritate, exasperate, nettle, provoke, rile, peeve mean to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance.

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 rile in a Sentence

Her comments riled the professor. one sure way to rile me is to keep yelling for me
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Senators have earned that right to get their fans riled up one more time in this series. Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 The special will look back on her Correspondents’ Dinner speech, which riled up the Fox News crowd and struck a nerve with Donald Trump. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2025 As conservatives in the U.S. were getting riled up about real or perceived changes over LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church, far more substantive maneuvers were underway at the Vatican. Liam Adams, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025 Though Hargitay and Meloni are both married, the friends seem to get a kick out of riling up their fanbase, many of whom ship their Law & Order characters, Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, or even the actors themselves. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rile

Word History

Etymology

variant of roil

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rile was in 1624

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rile. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

rile

verb
riled; riling
1
: to make angry
2

More from Merriam-Webster on rile

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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