- (a.) To become or be, rank; to grow rank or strong; to be inflamed; to fester; -- used literally and figuratively.
- (v.t.) To cause to fester; to make sore; to inflame.
- (a.) To produce a festering or inflamed effect; to cause a sore; -- used literally and figuratively; as, a splinter rankles in the flesh; the words rankled in his bosom.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). rankle. Retrieved September 25, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/rankle/definitions/2052581 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "rankle" http://smartdefine.org/rankle/definitions/2052581 (accessed September 25, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, rankle, Smart Define, viewed 25 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/rankle/definitions/2052581>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "rankle" 27 May 2011. Web. 25 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/rankle/definitions/2052581> |