rile — to make someone annoyed or angry
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make someone annoyed or angry
Pronunciation (IPA): /raɪl/
Example Sentences
- Don't let his sarcastic comments rile you - he's just jealous.
- The politician's speech was designed to rile up the voters before the election.
- My cat gets easily riled when the neighbor's dog barks at 3 AM.
rile
VERB[/raɪl/]
to make someone annoyed or angry

a mischievous coworker repeatedly clicks his pen loudly while his colleague tries to concentrate on important work. The pen-clicker grins smugly as he taps the pen against his desk in an annoying rhythm. His frustrated colleague's face grows redder with each click, his jaw clenching tighter. The annoyed worker grips his pencil so hard it might snap, his eyebrows furrowed in mounting irritation. Other nearby coworkers glance over with concerned expressions, sensing the rising tension. someone being deliberately made annoyed and angry through persistent irritating behavior
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From 17th century French 'rouiller' meaning 'to make water turbid or muddy.' The word originally described stirring up liquid to make it cloudy, then evolved to mean stirring up emotions to make someone angry or agitated.
Breakdown
rile (from French 'rouiller' - to muddy or disturb water, metaphorically extended to disturbing someone's peace of mind)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Don't let his sarcastic comments rile you - he's just jealous.”
“The politician's speech was designed to rile up the voters before the election.”
“My cat gets easily riled when the neighbor's dog barks at 3 AM.”
“Nothing riles me more than people who chew loudly in quiet libraries.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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