rankle

American Heritage Dictionary:

ran·kle

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(răng'kəl) pronunciation

v., -kled, -kling, -kles.

v.intr.

To cause persistent irritation or resentment.
To become sore or inflamed; fester.

v.tr.
To embitter; irritate.

[Middle English ranclen, from Old French rancler, alteration of draoncler, from draoncle, festering sore, from Latin dracunculus, diminutive of dracō, dracōn-, serpent. See dragon.]

WORD HISTORY A persistent resentment, a festering sore, and a little snake are all coiled together in the history of the word rankle. "A little snake" is the sense of the Latin word dracunculus to which rankle can be traced, dracunculus being a diminutive of dracō, "snake." The Latin word passed into Old French, as draoncle, having probably already developed the sense "festering sore," because some of these sores resembled little snakes in their shape or bite. The verb draoncler, "to fester," was then formed in Old French. The noun and verb developed alternate forms without the d-, and both were borrowed into Middle English, the noun rancle being recorded in a work written around 1190, the verb ranclen, in a work probably composed about 1300. Both words had literal senses having to do with festering sores. The noun is not recorded after the 16th century, but the verb went on to develop the figurative senses having to do with resentment and bitterness with which we are all too familiar.

rankle

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Home > Library > Literature & Language > Antonyms

Definition: annoy, irritate
Antonyms: delight, make happy, please

Word Tutor:

rankle

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IN BRIEF: To cause irritation or anger.

Do not rankle the dog by pulling on its tail.

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Rhymes:

rankle

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Home > Library > Literature & Language > Rhymes

See words rhyming with "rankle."

Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary:

rankle

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Home > Library > Literature & Language > Crossword Clues

See crossword solutions for the clue Rankle.

Translations:

Rankle

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Home > Library > Literature & Language > Translations

Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - nage, være betændt
v. tr. - gøre betændt

Nederlands (Dutch)
kwaadheid/ verbittering veroorzaken, zweren, kwaad/geïrriteerd zijn

Français (French)
v. intr. - rester sur le c¯ur, énerver (qn) sans arrêt, s'envenimer, couver (un ressentiment)
v. tr. - irriter (qn), emplir (qn) d'amertume

Deutsch (German)
v. - wurmen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - πικραίνω, τσούζω, πονώ, προκαλώ επίμονη ενόχληση

Italiano (Italian)
infiammarsi

Português (Portuguese)
v. - causar sofrimento, inflamar-se, ulcerar-se

Русский (Russian)
гноиться, бесить

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - enconarse, ulcerarse, inflamarse, irritarse, roer, escocer
v. tr. - causar rencor

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - vara sig, ligga och gnaga i minnet

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
化脓, 怨恨, 使疼痛, 使怨恨, 使发炎, 使痛苦

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 化膿, 怨恨
v. tr. - 使疼痛, 使怨恨, 使發炎, 使痛苦

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 곪다, 끊임 없이 아프다
v. tr. - 괴롭히다, 짜증나게 하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 消えずに残る, 心に食い込む, 絶えず痛む

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يعتمل في الصدر أو الذهن‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮כרסם בלב, ציער‬
v. tr. - ‮כרסם בלב, ציער‬

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American Heritage Dictionary The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read

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