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
  • With a red category, people can experience irritated eyes, nose or throat; coughing; chest tightness or shortness of breath.
    — Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 19 July 2026
  • Once you’re finished, apply a fragrance-free moisturizer and avoid hot showers, tight clothing, and intense workouts for several hours if your skin feels irritated.
    — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 17 July 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • This smoke has eroded decades of air quality improvements in parts of the US, particularly in the West.
    — Brandon Miller, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Within a few months of Shapiro’s arrival, the behavior eroded any trust that employee had in the surgeon and raised a unique concern for the first time in that employee’s career.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 16 July 2026
Definition of eroded
Verb
  • Club homeowners are not merely annoyed by tourist bonanzas like the World Cup — Airbnb is FIFA’s official lodging partner — or the Ultra music festival, Spring Break and Formula 1 weekend.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • The equalising goal came in first-half stoppage time, with Norway coach Stale Solbakken visibly annoyed with referee Clement Turpin at the half-time interval.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • Skubal was scratched from his next start and slated for surgery.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Gypsum can also be applied around the plants at a rate of about 5 pounds per 100 square feet and carefully scratched into the soil.
    — Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
Definition of scratched
Adjective
  • 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
  • Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi star as childhood pals turned hot and bothered frenemies having quite the torrid love affair as adults in a sumptuous and quite haughty bad romance.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • The mother-son duo embraced in the driveway of a home in front of a big field; Aaron wore a casual black T-shirt, blue athletic shorts, a baseball cap, and brown flip flips, while his mom paired a sleeveless blue blouse with baggy patterned pants.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 22 July 2026
  • Holmes, 47, wore a pink corset-style shirt paired with black leather pants, while Yarmosky went casual in a T-shirt, jeans and a tote bag.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
Definition of wore
Verb
  • 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
  • The group alleged that as well as hacking their phones, journalists from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday tapped landlines and bugged houses and cars.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of bugged
Adjective
  • 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
  • For a variety of reasons that weren’t immediately entirely clear, there was a comprehensive and fundamental breakdown in access to the stadium that left many exasperated or furious.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 June 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 25 Jul. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

'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

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All