rile
verb
transitive verb
Synonyms
- aggravate
- annoy
- bother
- bug
- burn (up)
- chafe
- eat
- exasperate
- frost
- gall
- get
- grate
- gripe
- hack (off)
- irk
- irritate
- itch
- nark [British]
- nettle
- peeve
- persecute
- pique
- put out
- rasp
- ruffle
- spite
- vex
Example Sentences
Jacqueline Saguin, Good Housekeeping, 3 Sep. 2022 Her character, too, is barely shaded; even the provocative statements Bobbi lobs like grenades at dinner parties to rile up her friends lack the necessary kick. Inkoo Kang, Washington Post, 14 May 2022 The Biden administration’s decision to offer a swap for Ms. Griner may rile some of America’s allies, which have held the line in their own hostage situations, including on behalf of the United States. New York Times, 28 July 2022 So is the fact that Trump can no longer use Twitter to rile up his supporters with incendiary falsehoods. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022 The pivot is raising alarm about Meta’s priorities and about how some might exploit the world’s most popular social media platforms to spread misleading claims, launch fake accounts and rile up partisan extremists. Amanda Seitz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2022 The pivot is raising alarm about Meta’s priorities and about how some might exploit the world’s most popular social media platforms to spread misleading claims, launch fake accounts and rile up partisan extremists. Scott Bauer, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2022 This conversation covers how silence can rile, the mariachi space opera staged by a bunch of Texas students and what a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer manages to make sound look like. Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2022 Vega, meanwhile, has touted her get-out-the-vote work for Youngkin among Hispanic voters, while angling to put prominent far-right figures in her corner to rile up the base. Meagan Flynn, Washington Post, 18 June 2022 See More Word History
variant of roil
1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
rile
verb
rile
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- annoy
- irritate
- bother
- persecute
- bug
- aggravate
- irk
- infuriate
- get
- exasperate
- provoke
- anger
- vex
- pique
- spite
- ruffle
- eat
- tease
- grate
- nark
- worry
- insult
- gripe
- gall
- chafe
- itch
- rouse
- peeve
- enrage
- offend
- get to
- frost
- harass
- put out
- nettle
- wear on
- upset
- inflame
- plague
- antagonize
- rasp
- unsettle
- nag
- rub the wrong way
- heckle
- agitate
- stick in one's craw
- burn (up)
- rankle
- hack (off)
- set one's teeth on edge
- pester
- get on one's nerves
- roil
- enflame
- badger
- outrage
- get one's goat
- perturb
- bait
- harry
- hassle
- devil
- unhinge
- disquiet
- affront
- miff
- distress
- undo
- discomfort
- madden
- fret
- incense
- exercise
- discompose
- bullyrag
- ballyrag
- hagride
- freak (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- placate
- appease
- pacify
- oblige
- conciliate
- mollify
- please
- satisfy
- gratify
- delight
- propitiate
- assure
- reassure
- soothe
- cheer
- gladden
- content
- quiet
- comfort
- console
- solace
Synonyms & Similar Words
- infuriate
- anger
- enrage
- annoy
- irritate
- outrage
- inflame
- rankle
- offend
- ire
- roil
- mad
- provoke
- enflame
- aggravate
- get
- exasperate
- steam up
- madden
- incense
- antagonize
- vex
- tick off
- affront
- miff
- pique
- ruffle
- rub the wrong way
- embitter
- cross
- huff
- get one's goat
- peeve
- put out
- nettle
- burn (up)
- envenom
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- please
- relieve
- gratify
- delight
- allay
- soothe
- assuage
- placate
- appease
- pacify
- conciliate
- comfort
- settle
- calm
- console
- mollify
- quiet
- lull
- disarm
- charm
- beguile
- captivate
- bewitch
- enchant
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of rile are exasperate, irritate, nettle, peeve, and provoke. While all these words mean "to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance," rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.
In some situations, the words exasperate and rile are roughly equivalent. However, exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.
Although the words irritate and rile have much in common, irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.
The words nettle and rile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.
While the synonyms peeve and rile are close in meaning, peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.
The synonyms provoke and rile are sometimes interchangeable, but provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.