galled 1 of 2

adjective

as in irritated
subjected to and reacting with irritation I was particularly galled when she didn't even offer to pay half the cab fare

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

galled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of gall
1
as in eroded
to damage or diminish by continued friction move that rope so the sharp edge of the hull doesn't gall it

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in annoyed
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts humming through your nose like that absolutely galls me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scratched
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

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 galled
Verb
Bundle is also galled by Lady Coote’s refusal to mention at the inquest that the fatal sleeping draft was from a bottle she’d given to her sleepless maid, Emily. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026 From Warriors coach Steve Kerr, to future Hall of Famers Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, to 25-year-old relative newcomers Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the team’s lack of competitive fire galled the Warriors. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025 Her words so galled many on the left, each column became a source of knee-jerk opposition online. — Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025 The fact that criminals would seek to take advantage of an old man’s lack of sophistication about the workings of the internet galled Tejasvi. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for galled
  1. irritated
  2. eroded
  3. annoyed
  4. scratched
  5. bothered
  6. wore
  7. bugged
  8. exasperated
Adjective
  • Plus, green tea extracts (known for their anti-inflammatory properties), soothe irritated skin and improve skin elasticity, per another study.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Showering too close to bedtime, using very hot water, or staying in too long can leave you overheated, sweaty, or with dry, irritated skin.
    — MD Published, Verywell Health, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • Hence the switch, a year or so after the film’s release, to a stadium now named after the latest in a long line of sponsors that, for all the vital money brought in, have slightly eroded identity.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • This eroded roughly a quarter of the air-quality progress made in those states over decades under the Clean Air Act.
    — Sissi Liu, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of eroded
Verb
  • Millard was either won over by Makowsky’s passion or annoyed into agreement by his persistence.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
  • There is a section of NASCAR fans today that are annoyed that Kyle Larson won the Knoxville race.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • The bear scratched his arm, and the victim tripped and injured his foot while trying to escape, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Anastasiia Holubieva scratched her head and looked down to see her hand covered in blood — the work of one of dozens of rockets fired on a recent night during which the Ukrainian capital could only intercept a single missile.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of scratched
Adjective
  • Admittedly, viewers on the festival circuit, like those in Locarno where this debuted, and folks who might catch it on streamers or in niche distribution are unlikely to be very bothered about the film’s lack of impartiality.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Rumpled lengths ooze insouciance, radiating a can't-be-bothered energy that, for some, is far cooler than even the bounciest blowout.
    — Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • The singer wore a black hoodie and appeared to be half-covered with a blanket.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
  • While the bride wore a satin, strapless Danielle Frankel wedding gown for the ceremony, the voluminous, floor-length skirt obscured her shoes on her big day.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of wore
Verb
  • The indictment revealed that prosecutors had bugged the Aisenbergs' home for three months after Sabrina's disappearance.
    — Curran Rastogi, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, a law-enforcement agency known as NABU, had bugged Mindich’s apartment in Kyiv, and detectives picked up his conversations about Fire Point.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of bugged
Adjective
  • These were voices—complaining, confiding, exasperated, distressed—that had not been heard before, as if the novel were a speaking tube cued to an underground rumble.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Jack Loder, a clearly exasperated digital content producer for the Giants’ flagship station KNBR, posted a two-minute video on X shortly after the game that singled out Webb for criticism.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of exasperated

Browse Nearby Words

gallants
galled
galleon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Galled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/galled. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on galled

Nglish: Translation of galled for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All