rankle means A festering, embittering object or condition, either mental, or a physical sore or ulcer. It carries an Arena rating of 1960, earned across 138 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, rankle ranks #6 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #513 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #731 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #759 of 17,131 for Scariest Words.
rankle is pronounced /ˈɹæŋ.kəl/.
Why “rankle” is a great word
RANKLE — [Verb] To cause persistent feelings of irritation, bitterness, or resentment. From Middle English ranklen, ranclen, from Old French rancler, draoncler ("to ulcerate, form a boil"), from Old French draoncle ("a boil"), from Latin dracunculus ("little serpent"), diminutive of Latin dracō ("serpent, dragon"). First attested in English c. 1300. Unlike "annoy," which suggests a fleeting, surface-level bother, or "fester," which describes the wound's passive decay, to rankle is the active implantation of a slow, venomous discontent. It is the thoughtless remark that coils in the memory for years, the petty injustice reheated in the mind at 3 a.m., or the sight of a rival's success that turns celebration to ash—a serpent’s tooth left in the flesh, proof that the smallest wounds are often the deepest.
Etymology
From Middle English ranklen, ranclen, from Old French rancler, räoncler, draoncler (“to ulcerate, to form a boil”), from Old French draoncle (“a boil”), from Latin dracunculus (“little serpent”), diminutive of Latin dracō (“serpent, dragon”).
noun
- A festering, embittering object or condition, either mental, or a physical sore or ulcer.e.g.“To this the Prince appeared to acquiesce; but I saw it did not please, and left a rankle in his mind.” — 1795, James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury, Diaries and Correspondence of James Harris, First Earl of Malmesbury., R. Bentley, published 1844, page 220:
verb
- To cause irritation, bitterness or acrimony.e.g.“My colleague's gratuitous criticism still rankles with me.”
- To fester.e.g.“a splinter rankles in the flesh”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- rankling 76% match — A sensation that rankles. vs rankle →
- ranklingly 72% match — In a way that rankles. vs rankle →
- ranken 62% match — To make or become rank vs rankle →
- anger 60% match — A strong and unpleasant feeling of displeasure, hostility, or antagonism, usually combined with an urge to yell, curse, damage or destroy things, or harm living beings, often stemming from perceived provocation, hurt, threat, insults, unfair or unjust treatment, or an undesired situation. vs rankle →
- niggle 57% match — A minor complaint or problem. vs rankle →
- roil 57% match — To render turbid by stirring up the dregs or sediment of. vs rankle →
- enraging 56% match — Causing one to become enraged; infuriating. vs rankle →
- irritate 56% match — To provoke impatience, anger, or displeasure in. vs rankle →