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
  • And everything is drier, more irritated — and even more acne-prone.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Nice people may of course become irritated, disappointed, jealous, or defensive, since niceness does not require sainthood.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • The trend is part of the broader nationalization of American politics, which has steadily eroded the independence candidates once enjoyed from their political parties.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
  • According to them, Trump’s policies on tariffs, aid, and allies have eroded the United States’ standing, opening the door for people across the world to switch their allegiance to China.
    — Adam Y. Liu, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of eroded
Verb
  • 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
  • What annoyed me the most, though, was the way the meditation teachers talked, which tended toward New Age–isms in passive voice.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • In June, a black bear followed and then attacked and scratched a hiker in Golden, Colorado.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The upstairs neighbors had two mastiffs who were left home all day and who barked incessantly and scratched at the floor of their kennel.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 5 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
  • Buying a pair of sneakers cosigned by your favorite celebrity or athlete—say, Zendaya’s collaboration with On, which Shelton recently wore, or Alcaraz’s Nike kit designed in partnership with Travis Scott—is a way in.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Before the afternoon premiere began, paparazzi could be heard screaming for Anderson — who wore a stunning orange dress with a dramatic train — from inside the Sala Giardino theater.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 9 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
  • 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
  • John Stewart’s exasperated adieu to his alien abductors doubles as a meta acknowledgement of Episode 2’s exposition-heavy plotting.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Aug. 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 12 Sep. 2026.

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