noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈɹæŋ.kəl/without æ-raising
[ˈɹæŋ.kl̩]without æ-raising
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/ˈɹeɪ̯ŋ.kəl/æ-raising
[ˈɹeɪ̯ŋ.kl̩]æ-raising
/ˈɹɛ̃ŋ.kəl/æ-raising
[ˈɹɛ̃ŋ.kl̩]æ-raising
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æŋkəl
CMU ARPABET:R AE1 NG K AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A festering, embittering object or condition, either mental, or a physical sore or ulcer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To cause irritation, bitterness or acrimony.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, transitive
Examples
My colleague's gratuitous criticism still rankles with me.
1894, Ivan Dexter, Talmud: A Strange Narrative of Central Australia, published in serial form in Port Adelaide News and Lefevre's Peninsula Advertiser (SA), Chapter XX, http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks16/1600641.txt I stood trembling with agony for the spear was rankling in the wound.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: embitter, irritate
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To fester.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
a splinter rankles in the flesh
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
gnaw into; make resentful or angry
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The injustice rankled her
his resentment festered
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eat into, fret, grate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: annoy, rag, get to, bother, get at, irritate, rile, nark, nettle, gravel, vex, chafe, devil
History
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”).
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
язва
(jazva)
— physical sore or ulcer
Bulgarian:
цирей
(cirej)
— physical sore or ulcer
Bulgarian:
рана
(rana)
— physical sore or ulcer
Bulgarian:
цирей
(cirej)
— mental sore
Bulgarian:
рана
(rana)
— mental sore
Bulgarian:
гнет
(gnet)
— mental sore
Bulgarian:
тормоз
(tormoz)
— mental sore
Bulgarian:
мъча
(mǎča)
— to cause irritation
Bulgarian:
измъчвам
(izmǎčvam)
— to cause irritation
Catalan:
irritar
— to cause irritation
Catalan:
crispar
— to cause irritation
Czech:
trápit
— to cause irritation
Czech:
štvát
— to cause irritation
Czech:
žrát
— to cause irritation
Dutch:
irriteren
— to cause irritation
Dutch:
steken
— to cause irritation
Dutch:
woekeren
— to cause irritation
Galician:
alporizarse
— to cause irritation
German:
verdrießen
— to cause irritation
German:
wurmen
— to cause irritation
Hungarian:
sajog
— to cause irritation
Hungarian:
fáj
— to cause irritation
Hungarian:
bánt
— to cause irritation
Hungarian:
irritál
— to cause irritation
Hungarian:
bosszant
— to cause irritation
Māori:
horu
— to cause irritation
Polish:
boleć
— to cause irritation
Polish:
dręczyć
— to cause irritation
Russian:
терзать
(terzatʹ)
— to cause irritation
Russian:
му́чить
(múčitʹ)
— to cause irritation
Russian:
раздража́ть
(razdražátʹ)
— to cause irritation
