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
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of galled
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
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
Adjective
-
On Friday, a cloud of irritated bees swarmed the linden’s trunk about 20 feet up, where wind from strong storms the night before had snapped it.
-
Azaria was not the only one irritated at Swift’s Game 4 courtside presence.
Verb
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Beyond hiring and leadership decisions, trust is also built or eroded through everyday behavior.
-
Starmer is leaving after two years in office marred by missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.
Verb
-
David goes on a tour of the past 250 years and is deeply annoyed by every facet of it.
-
There were more infamous incidents, such as when Dave Hodge was visibly annoyed at the network cutting away from a Montreal Canadiens-Philadelphia Flyers game tied late in regulation to show a news broadcast.
Verb
-
Schwarber was scratched minutes before Tuesday's game with lower back tightness.
-
There’s the obvious joy of indulging in French cuisine at every craving’s whim, from world-class pastries to bistro classics, but for Architectural Digest’s global director of audience development, Pujah Shah, that just scratched the surface of the many in-destination babymoon perks.
Adjective
-
Even as Dylan maneuvers weightier situations like romantic rejection, or the uncertainty of a new leadership position, or feeling bothered that a promising student decides to turn her back on poetry, the actress brings a sense of humanity while embracing her character’s flaws.
-
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.
Verb
-
The Nike Air Max Joga Bonito R9 mashes up the boot Ronaldo wore for the 1998 World Cup with the Air Max 95.
-
Witherspoon wore a hot pink plunging Prada gown to the occasion—perfectly on brand for Elle.
Verb
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When Riley returned to the table, La La told me that his high profile in the city sometimes bugged her, because fans were always interrupting them, even sitting down at their table.
-
Upon arriving at big-league camp this spring, Rojas said the different grip initially bugged him.
Adjective
-
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.
-
Such a reader would be even more exasperated by The End of Everything, which turns the dial up several notches.
Cite this Entry
“Galled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/galled. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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