verb (used without object), ran·kled, ran·kling.
verb (used with object), ran·kled, ran·kling.
Origin of rankle
Examples from the Web for rankling
This rankling silence seemed to him more unaccountable and deadly than all former mischances, and left him far more alone.Dragon's blood|Henry Milner Rideout
The delicate emphasis amused him, it betrayed the rankling jealousy.A Little Girl in Old St. Louis|Amanda Minnie Douglas
Her heart ached for him, though she had no notion of the bitterness, the rebellion, that were rankling in his.The Dreamer|Mary Newton Stanard
Don't give your mother this rankling pain and humiliation during the rest of her life.The Forsyte Saga, Volume III.|John Galsworthy
Thou hast a daughter, and my prescience hath this consequence, that by her this rankling wound shall be healed.
British Dictionary definitions for rankling
Word Origin for rankle
Word Origin and History for rankling
c.1300, "to fester," from Old French rancler, earlier raoncler, draoncler "to suppurate, run," from draoncle "abscess, festering sore," from Medieval Latin dracunculus, literally "little dragon," diminutive of Latin draco "serpent, dragon" (see dragon). The notion is of an ulcer caused by a snake's bite. Meaning "cause to fester" is from c.1400. Related: Rankled; rankling.