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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

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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

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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

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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

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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
  • The dog’s ribs poked out, her skin was irritated and red, and patches of fur were missing — a possible sign of mange.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • My skin doesn’t get irritated either, thanks to the green tea, which reduces redness and calms the skin barrier.
    — Jacqueline Tempera, InStyle, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • Bigger paychecks sought While the economy may be showing signs of acceleration, stubborn inflation has eroded Americans’ take-home pay.
    — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Optimizing college for professional preparation also began to pull the two purposes apart, and eroded the unrepeatable social experience that college is supposed to provide.
    — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of eroded
Verb
  • The rare curtain call on the road continued an outpouring of support from Mets fans for Alonso over the past two nights — and apparently annoyed at least one of his former teammates.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • One guy in cargo shorts and a battered Ramones T-shirt kept casting dirty looks at the sky, clearly annoyed at the thumping of the TV news helicopters — there were at least three overhead at all times — drowning out his commentary.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • In one of these journals, called Notebook B, there is an incidental sketch, a few scratched lines like the barren twigs of a winter tree.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Officials said another woman fought back during an attack and scratched Davis, leaving DNA beneath her fingernails.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 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
  • That September, Swift wore an oversized vintage Chiefs T-shirt as a minidress with thigh-high Giuseppe Zanotti boots and a Louis Vuitton bag.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • And who was the woman behind the plunging 1999 Versace number Lopez wore to the Grammys, celebrated as the dress that launched Google Image Search?
    — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 21 Sep. 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
  • To get her the proper paperwork will require a detour from his schedule for the day, and there’s more than a little comedy, however subtly played by Zareh, in his exasperated response to this change of plans.
    — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Despite riders growing ever more exasperated with having to race in extreme heat, the Vuelta a España race organizer is adamant that major changes to the cycling calendar will not be contemplated as a solution to combat excessive temperatures.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of exasperated

Browse Nearby Words

gallants
galled
galleon
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Cite this Entry

“Galled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/galled. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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