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 Illini led by as many as 16 points in the first half, riling up a raucous crowd. Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025 The tariffs have hit competitors and allies, riling Democratic lawmakers, who say the measures are counterproductive to Trump's goals of helping American workers, and U.S. partners, who are now threatening sharp increases of their own. Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025 And up until this point, she’s seriously delivered with tons of jaw-dropping outfits that always rile up the internet trolls. Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 29 Jan. 2025 In the play, the goddess Athena swoops into Athens to see what’s got everyone so riled up. Sigal Samuel, Vox, 3 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

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Cite this Entry

“Rile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rile. Accessed 1 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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