roil

verb

ˈrȯi(-ə)l 

transitive sense 2 is also

ˈrī(-ə)l 

roiled; roiling; roils

transitive verb

1

a

: to make turbid by stirring up the sediment or dregs of

b

: to stir up : disturb, disorder

a crisis roiling the stock market

2

: rile sense 1

intransitive verb

: to move turbulently : be in a state of turbulence or agitation

conflicting emotions roiling inside her

Synonyms of roil

• swirl
• churn
• boil
• seethe

Examples of roil in a Sentence

Financial markets have been roiled by the banking crisis.

the waters of the gulf tossed and roiled as the hurricane surged toward the shore

Recent Examples on the Web

The feel-good pop music gala that draws more than 100 million viewers every year has been roiled by the war in Gaza for the past two years. —Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

Worth about $5 million, the Chew Valley Hoard is believed to have been hidden for safekeeping nearly 1,000 years ago, as Saxon rebellions against William the Conqueror roiled England; just under half of the 2,584 coins feature the last Anglo-Saxon king Harold II. —Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 3 Dec. 2025

Zelenskyy's government has been roiled by fallout from a scandal over $100 million embezzled from the energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors, causing newfound domestic pressures for Zelenskyy. —CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025

The Atlantic roils under the graying sky, the breeze turning everyone’s nipples to glass. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for roil

• boil
• broil
• coil
• foil
• oil
• soil
• spoil
• toil
• voile
• aerofoil
• cinquefoil
• hydrofoil

Kids Definition

roil

verb

ˈrȯi(ə)l 

sense 2 is also ˈrī(ə)l

1

: to make cloudy or muddy by stirring up

roil the water of a brook

2

: to rouse the anger of