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gall

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verb

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as in to irritate
to make sore by continued rubbing tie your shoes so they don't gall your heels sliding on and off like that

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word gall different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of gall are audacity, cheek, chutzpah, effrontery, hardihood, nerve, and temerity. While all these words mean "conspicuous or flagrant boldness," nerve, cheek, gall, and chutzpah are informal equivalents for effrontery.

the nerve of that guy
has the cheek to call herself a singer
had the gall to demand proof
the chutzpah needed for a career in show business

In what contexts can audacity take the place of gall?

In some situations, the words audacity and gall are roughly equivalent. However, audacity implies a disregard of restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence.

an entrepreneur with audacity and vision

When could effrontery be used to replace gall?

The meanings of effrontery and gall largely overlap; however, effrontery implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy.

outraged at his effrontery

When is hardihood a more appropriate choice than gall?

The synonyms hardihood and gall are sometimes interchangeable, but hardihood suggests firmness in daring and defiance.

admired for her hardihood

When might temerity be a better fit than gall?

The words temerity and gall can be used in similar contexts, but temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger.

had the temerity to refuse

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of gall
Noun
Queen, not yet a high school upperclassman, showed some gall. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2025 Yanking the rug out from under thousands of foreigners who often risked life and limb to find a safe haven in America is an unconscionable act of heartless, anti-humanitarian gall on the part of Donald Trump and his minions. Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
Verb
The two countries were locked in a long-running struggle for economic dominance, making the U.S. bid for Canada especially galling. Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 The loss will be particularly galling for Świątek, who had match point at 40-30 up but was unable to convert and reach her first Australian Open final. Matias Grez, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gall
Noun
  • Without an end to hostilities, no humanitarian corridor can function safely, Palestinian civilians cannot be reached at scale and the hostages will not return home.
    David Miliband, Time, 29 July 2025
  • The largest synagogue in Judaism’s Reconstructionist movement is moving to cut ties with its denominational body over what its leaders describe as a failure to confront hostility to Israel among affiliated rabbis and rabbinical students.
    Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 28 July 2025
Noun
  • King has been out since mid-May with a nerve impingement near his right shoulder and is essentially in build-up mode.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • The researchers employed a range of advanced laboratory techniques to investigate nerve regeneration.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • John tried physical therapy and wearing a brace, but the spine kept worsening.
    Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
  • Another plays up baby No. 3's unusual name, picturing the infant blissfully slumbering while clad in a child's onesie version of the suit originally worn by the DC character in his 1941 More Fun Comics debut.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • This means that some people might not bother using them.
    Ben Coxworth July 26, New Atlas, 26 July 2025
  • But one aspect of his robberies bothers him to this day.
    Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 26 July 2025
Verb
  • It was heard, and irritating, in all places at all times.
    Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2025
  • For Wiles and other top aides, winning in the midterms is crucial — more crucial than publicly flaming a lawmaker who has a history of irritating Trump.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • In the End, Tommy Fleetwood's Character Will Prevail Despite this awkward situation, Fleetwood has no plans to hold too many grudges about what happened.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
  • President Donald Trump singled out Brazil for import taxes of 50% on Wednesday for its treatment of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, showing that personal grudges rather than simple economics are a driving force in the U.S. leader’s use of tariffs.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • The sweeping track was inspired in part by Rebecca Solnit’s 2014 collection Men Explain Things to Me, with the titular essay providing a scathing look at male arrogance and how conversations between men and women go awry.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2025
  • But nothing in his tenure captures all at once the sense of arrogance, tone-deafness to the concerns of Floridians and obsession with keeping secrets.
    Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • But the context in which the show is premiering makes this a surreal project, where legal rights and principles we were once told were sacrosanct are being eroded.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2025
  • Inflation is an inevitable economic reality that erodes your purchasing power over time.
    Prasanna Kumar, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gall. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.

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