as in irritated
subjected to and reacting with irritation
I was particularly galled when she didn't even offer to pay half the cab fare
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in eroded
to damage or diminish by continued friction
move that rope so the sharp edge of the hull doesn't gall it
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in annoyed
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
humming through your nose like that absolutely galls me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of galled
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Her words so galled many on the left, each column became a source of knee-jerk opposition online.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
The fact that criminals would seek to take advantage of an old man’s lack of sophistication about the workings of the internet galled Tejasvi.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
From Warriors coach Steve Kerr, to future Hall of Famers Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, to 25-year-old relative newcomers Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the team’s lack of competitive fire galled the Warriors.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for galled
Adjective
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If left to build up on the skin, these substances can make skin look and feel dull or irritated.—
-
At first blush, Rachel appears to be a mousy wallflower irritated by Marty’s fast-cash gambits.—
Verb
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But police-reform advocates say the momentum for change after Floyd’s death has stalled — and in some cases reversed — as transparency by law-enforcement agencies across the Bay Area and the nation has steadily eroded.—
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Consumers have remained reluctant to spend amid an uncertain employment outlook and a prolonged property crisis that has eroded household wealth.—
Verb
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Luis is frankly annoyed by this type of music.—
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Vulnerability is currency on reality television, and after a season of exposing their own struggles and embarrassments, the other women are annoyed that Meredith wants to keep up appearances.—
Verb
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Two bills returned into Rafiq’s hand upon his pointing out that the wood panelling on the side of the radio was scratched and that the knob felt rather flimsy.—
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Her feet were red and bruised, her face and neck were scratched and bruises that appeared to be finger imprints were visible on her neck, the affidavit says.—
Adjective
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So what exactly got the studio so hot and bothered?—
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Despite his status as a pop culture icon for close to 50 years now, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic has claimed he’s not terribly bothered about being overlooked by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.—
Verb
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For the Los Angeles premiere of Marty Supreme, the two wore custom Chrome Hearts looks.—
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Emma Stone wore comfy, but sophisticated silk pants to a Louis Vuitton event in New York.—
Verb
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Banks has bugged Kerkering to clean his locker, to no avail.—
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Power gains are bugged to be too low for a new power grind that no one wants to do anyway.—
Adjective
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It certainly can be deployed sincerely, yet it’s almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head.—
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Let the Big Three ride out the final years of this glorious era together, with Kerr looking on, exasperated but content in the final year of his contract.—
Cite this Entry
“Galled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/galled. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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