riled; riling

transitive verb

1
: to make agitated and angry : upset
2
Choose the Right Synonym for rile

irritate, exasperate, nettle, provoke, rile, peeve mean to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance.

irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.

constant nagging that irritated me greatly

exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.

his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions

nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.

your pompous attitude nettled several people

provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.

remarks made solely to provoke her

rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.

the new work schedules riled the employees

peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.

a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

Examples of rile in a Sentence

Her comments riled the professor. one sure way to rile me is to keep yelling for me
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The generally tame statement was still enough to rile up the likes of Megyn Kelly, who used it as another opportunity to stoke the right-wing backlash to the film. Tom Smyth, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025 The chest-thumping celebrations in the White House and the antics of its pet-project DOGE intersected to rile up Democrats, who have been trying to defend all corners of the federal cogs. Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025 Your enthusiasm riles others up as the moon and Mars harmonize. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025 Elon Musk’s chainsaw wielding antics at CPAC may have riled up the bureaucracy-hating audience, but flashbacks to 1990s era Chainsaw Al Dunlap’s track record should make markets shudder. Matt Schifrin, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rile

Word History

Etymology

variant of roil

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rile was in 1624

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rile. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

rile

verb
riled; riling
1
: to make angry
2

More from Merriam-Webster on rile

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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