rankle
/ˈraŋk(ə)l
/verb [no object]
1(Of a comment or fact) cause continuing annoyance or resentment: the casual manner of his dismissal still rankles...
- The issues they raise often have their roots in the past and yet continue to rankle.
- The mildly teasing tone in the girl's voice took most of the sting out of her last comment, yet it still rankled.
- This rankled with me two years ago and I still find it very irksome today.
1.1 [with object] Annoy or irritate (someone): Lisa was rankled by his assertion...
- Well, there is a thing or two that might rankle people on either side, but Scott has his head in the right place.
- Edison's corporate identity also rankles the students and is one of the major themes of their rallies and meetings.
- But something about having to legislate those rules of fair play rankles me.
Synonyms
cause resentment to, cause annoyance to, annoy, upset, anger, irritate, offend, affront, displease, exasperate, infuriate, provoke, irk, vex, pique, nettle, gall, gnaw at, eat away at, grate on;
fester
informal rile, miff, peeve, aggravate, hack off
British informal nark
North American informal tick off
vulgar slang piss off
2 archaic (Of a wound or sore) continue to be painful; fester: the wound is but skinned over and rankles still at the bottom
Origin
Middle English: from Old French rancler, from rancle, draoncle 'festering sore', from an alteration of medieval Latin dracunculus, diminutive of draco 'serpent'.