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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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

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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 addition of aloe vera juice and hyaluronic acid helps soothe and hydrate skin that may feel a little irritated.
    — Glamour, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2026
  • If your tears lack oil, your eyes can become irritated and dry more easily.
    — Nancy LeBrun, Verywell Health, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • Prices have been rising faster than paychecks in recent months, so workers' real buying power is being eroded.
    — Scott Horsley, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Even before these changes, a 2026 Mavvrik survey of 396 organizations found that AI expenditures eroded gross margins at about four out of five enterprises for the second consecutive year.
    — Aruna Veerappan, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of eroded
Verb
  • Stewart was annoyed that a game against the Washington Mystics earlier in the year took nearly three hours to complete.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Part of me is annoyed that the process didn’t hand me a neat solution.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • Other issues are scratched, damaged, or overly polished watches sold as mint, sellers who disappear after receiving payment, and shill bidding at online auctions.
    — Joe D'Allegro, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The fight was so violent that each one of them punched, scratched, bit and slapped the other, Linhardt said.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 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
  • The Oakland singer-songwriter entered the R&B fray in 2015 as a raw, gutsy artist who bravely wore her heart on her sleeve.
    — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The cinema recently recreated a ringer tee Steve’s late mother wore in the early-1970s.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Oct. 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
  • Martinez and Ishibashi play McConaughey and Harrelson’s real-life spouses like easily exasperated sitcom spouses, half disapproving wet blankets and half the only sane people in their respective families.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 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 6 Oct. 2026.

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