Synonyms of rankled

rankled 1 of 2

adjective

as in angered

feeling or showing anger

our supervisor was rankled by all the unexpected delays and problems we ran into

Synonyms & Similar Words

• angered
• infuriated
• enraged
• angry
• outraged
• indignant
• mad
• furious
• infuriate
• ballistic
• incensed
• riled
• sore
• annoyed
• irate
• rabid
• livid
• passionate
• inflamed
• apoplectic
• fuming
• wroth
• irritable
• hot
• wrathful
• roiled
• hot under the collar
• fit to be tied
• in a huff
• steaming
• in a pet
• choleric
• blue in the face
• ticked
• bent out of shape
• shirty
• foaming
• hopping mad
• in a fume
• aggravated
• exasperated
• ireful
• hopping
• cheesed off
• going crook
• bristling
• seething
• steamed up
• embittered
• resentful
• boiling
• teed off
• rancorous
• antagonistic
• horn-mad
• worked up
• unpleasant
• wrought (up)
• bristly
• riley
• cross
• vindictive
• virulent
• spiteful
• ranting
• acrimonious
• inimical
• perturbed
• churlish
• antipathetic
• vitriolic
• huffy
• burning
• disagreeable
• distant
• vengeful
• malevolent
• smoldering
• peevish
• fretful
• sulky
• acrid
• testy
• piqued
• unfriendly
• irascible
• petulant
• cantankerous
• bitter
• stormy
• touchy
• sizzling
• dyspeptic
• icy
• disapproving
• raving
• bilious
• antisocial
• belligerent
• snappish
• ornery
• frigid
• cold
• querulous
• contentious
• quarrelsome
• pugnacious
• grumpy
• grouchy
• cranky
• inflammable
• contrary
• fussy
• disputatious
• ill-tempered
• crabby
• cool
• sorehead
• argumentative
• bearish
• ill-humored
• quick-tempered
• put out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pleased
• delighted
• accepting
• accommodating
• agreeable
• amenable
• friendly
• complaisant
• sympathetic
• happy
• cordial
• satisfied
• obliging
• amicable
• content
• tolerant
• calm
• understanding
• empathetic
• kind
• pleasant
• angerless
• placid
• amiable
• sweet
• good-natured
• serene
• peaceable
• affable
• tranquil
• genial
• easygoing
• pacific
• unembittered
• good-tempered

rankled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of rankle

1

as in raged

to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger

that kind of rude treatment from a young person makes me rankle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• raged
• steamed
• stormed
• burned
• shook
• boiled
• seethed
• fumed
• foamed
• sizzled
• agitated
• ranted
• saw red
• bristled
• raved
• inflamed
• chafed
• smoldered
• fulminated
• convulsed
• roiled
• stewed
• flared (up)
• fretted

2

as in infuriated

to make angry

it rankles me when some schools can't even afford paper and pencils for the students

Synonyms & Similar Words

• angered
• infuriated
• enraged
• annoyed
• outraged
• irritated
• incensed
• riled
• offended
• roiled
• inflamed
• maddened
• provoked
• aggravated
• ired
• ticked off
• steamed up
• nettled
• affronted
• vexed
• miffed
• exasperated
• ruffled
• peeved
• madded
• piqued
• huffed
• crossed
• rubbed the wrong way
• antagonized
• burned (up)
• got
• got one's goat
• embittered
• put out
• envenomed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pleased
• gratified
• delighted
• relieved
• allayed
• comforted
• soothed
• consoled
• assuaged
• appeased
• mollified
• settled
• quieted
• calmed
• pacified
• lulled
• charmed
• captivated
• placated
• enchanted
• disarmed
• beguiled
• bewitched
• conciliated

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rankled

Verb

That data wasn’t always included in the FDA scientists’ presentations — a decision that rankled some committee members. — Sara G. Miller, NBC news, 23 July 2026

Caballero’s pre-pitch routine has rankled opposing pitchers — and even some umpires — all season. — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 21 July 2026

But the guard rankled at the July 6 decision to pull her out of the starting lineup, blasting the move on social media and doubling down in an ensuing media availability in Phoenix. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026

The absence of any Greek actors in the principal cast of The Odyssey has rankled many who had hoped for prominent Greek representation in a foundational work of Greek literature. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026

Armenia also played host to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a move that further rankled the Kremlin, especially because Pashinyan and Zelensky held talks in English, rather than in Russian, the old Soviet lingua franca. — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 8 June 2026

Read more here about how Trump's non-endorsement of Cornyn, in favor of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, rankled GOP lawmakers. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 May 2026

The Sound Dues rankled the maritime powers of the day, but Denmark could easily enforce them thanks to the narrowness of the Øresund Strait, which is less than 3 miles wide at Helsingør. — Vivek Krishnamurthy, The Conversation, 5 May 2026

Two postseasons ago, Joel Embiid rankled Knicks fans during a hyper-testy first-round series in which the Philadelphia 76ers star engaged in multiple controversial plays — none bigger than him pulling Mitchell Robinson to the ground. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026