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
Opponents of the regime were galled by the phalanxes of goose-stepping soldiers and columns of tanks. — Ian Johnson, The New York Review of Books, 11 Oct. 2026 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
  • In fact, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)'s website suggests that sunscreens containing silicones might be a good alternative for people with rosacea who tend to get irritated skin after application.
    — Tracy Middleton, Allure, 19 Oct. 2026
  • According to the Cleveland Clinic, among the dangers of vaping are addiction to nicotine, asthma, cancer, lung scarring, coughing, shortness of breath and a dry/irritated mouth and throat.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • The deck replacement is necessary because traffic loads on the span have become increasingly heavy, and salt air has eroded bridge materials.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Ongoing inflation has eroded Americans' incomes and soured most consumers on the economy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of eroded
Verb
  • That was the question that annoyed Steinbrenner, who is backing a system that would strip his team of a financial advantage while falling in line with other billionaire ballclub owners, who tend to vote as a unified bloc.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The innkeeper is annoyed that his wife wants more conversation.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • Atlanta scratched across three runs against a shaky Blake Snell and a parade of Dodgers relievers, while Ray Kerr and Didier Fuentes, among others, held the powerful LA lineup to just two.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • San Jose Sharks star center Macklin Celebrini was scratched from the team's lineup at the Dallas Stars on Monday night because of a lower-body injury, and coach Ryan Warsofsky said the 20-year-old face of the franchise was still being evaluated.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of scratched
Adjective
  • Apart from that takeaway, Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love rarely looked bothered.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
  • To say social media got hot and bothered would be the understatement of the year.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • The mother-of-two wore a pair of white bottoms with a matching skirt and silk angel wings across her shoulders.
    — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Kendall Jenner and Hunter Schafer, in Valentino and Prada, respectively, wore two of the evening’s most compelling arguments for black and white evening attire.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of wore
Verb
  • And as the team moved into the couple’s guest house on their San Diego rental property, the filmmakers feared that the home was bugged and ordered a device to try to de-bug it, without success.
    — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • He’s bugged Jay — the two met online and married two years ago before opening their first restaurant last year — to make sure that includes his crispy duck panang curry.
    — Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of bugged
Adjective
  • Trip isn’t the standout role, but Keery handles the character’s exasperated monologues with panache, turning self-defense and infuriated straight-talk into acts of exhilarating sanity.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Digger, joined by his earnest and exasperated head of environmental safety and security, Nirav Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), heads to Europe to try to avert an unprecedented environmental disaster.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 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 24 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of puissant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All