galling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈgȯ-liŋ How to pronounce galling (audio)
Definition of gallingnext
1
as in frustrating
causing annoyance her holier-than-thou attitude is galling

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2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally losing in the last round of play-offs was galling to our home team

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galling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of gall
1
as in eroding
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 annoying
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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3
as in irritating
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 galling
Adjective
What was particularly galling, according to sources at the meeting, was the plan for the building’s union employees. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 More galling to Bonta is that what was discussed at that meeting slipped out into the public sphere. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
There’s no getting around paying taxes, but there’s something galling about paying for the privilege. — Brian Sloan,dan Avery, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026 Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri found the trauma plot especially galling in FNAF2, since that’s what every horror movie is about nowadays. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for galling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for galling
  1. frustrating
  2. painful
  3. eroding
  4. annoying
  5. irritating
  6. disturbing
  7. harsh
  8. wearing
Adjective
  • Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel didn’t shy away from discussing his job security Thursday amid a frustrating 0-5 start to the season.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Wednesday's rain made for a frustrating day for hundreds of travelers at Denver International Airport, including some football fans arriving for Thursday night's Broncos game.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Adjective
  • His path crosses with Naoko, a Japanese tourist carrying the weight of a painful past, and Ruby, a young child searching for his parents.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rising financial strains on American workers are forcing them to make painful trade-offs, such as skipping medical care, to make ends meet, new research shows.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of painful
Verb
  • Democrats lost the 2024 elections in part because of their eroding support among Latino voters, a constituency that was once a reliable segment of their base.
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026
  • That issue has attracted international attention as AI threatens to redistribute national income toward profit and away from wages, potentially eroding labor income as a source of tax revenue.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of eroding
Verb
  • Kids in all three countries loved learning dances from TikTok and annoying their siblings.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, this would depend on whether the managers choose to pick their strongest teams in what for some is a meaningless, even annoying extra fixture, for squads who just want to go home.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • So testing a movie that temporarily sounds irritating is really, really hard.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Tactics such as ragebait have only added to the fatigue, irritating enthusiasts already frustrated by the relentless churn of slop.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritating
Adjective
  • Even when the metaphor is painfully on the nose, the film’s most disturbing images are more than their dramatic limitations and a whale is still an astonishing place to spend a movie.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • When her aunt Helena and paralyzed grandmother Regina arrive, the fragile boundaries between everyday life, ancestral superstition and Trina’s increasingly disturbing nightmares begin to collapse.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • And now those still left in the battered city along Ukraine's southeastern front face death from hunger or disease as another harsh winter looms, with no agreement in sight for even a humanitarian evacuation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Despite low winds and little rain, harsh surf continues to wreak havoc along Southern California's coastal communities.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of harsh
Verb
  • Jackson had not been reported missing The man had been wearing a button-down short-sleeve shirt, light blue jeans, a silver wristwatch and blue-and-white tennis shoes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Temperatures are not conducive to actors wearing wool coats and scarves, and the snow on the ground is going to be added in post.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of wearing

Browse Nearby Words

gallimaufry
galling
gallivant
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Cite this Entry

“Galling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/galling. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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