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Rankle vs Resentful - What's the difference?

rankle | resentful |

As a verb rankle

is (intransitive) to cause irritation or deep bitterness.

As an adjective resentful is

inclined to resent, who tends to harbor resentment, when.

rankle

English

Verb

(rankl)
  • (intransitive) To cause irritation or deep bitterness.
  • To fester.
  • a splinter rankles in the flesh
  • * Rowe
  • a malady that burns and rankles inward
  • * Burke
  • This would have left a rankling wound in the hearts of the people.

    Quotations

    * 1590 — , Book I, Canto X *: But yet the cause and root of all his ill,
    Inward corruption and infected sin,
    Not purg'd nor heald, behind remained still,
    And festring sore did rankle yet within, * 1850 — , chapter XIV *: You are beside him, sleeping and waking. You search his thoughts. You burrow and rankle in his heart! * 1890 — , chapter IX *: The close proximity of the two countries, the relative positions of their ports, made the naval situation particularly strong; and the alliance which was dictated by sound policy, by family ties, and by just fear of England's sea power, was further assured to France by recent and still existing injuries that must continue to rankle with Spain. Gibraltar, Minorca, and Florida were still in the hands of England; no Spaniard could be easy till this reproach was wiped out.

    Synonyms

    * (to cause irritation) embitter, irritate * (to fester) fester

    Anagrams

    *

    resentful

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Inclined to resent, who tends to harbor resentment, when .
  • Harboring resentment, full of resentment, at a given moment.
  • Synonyms

    * (Inclined to resent) unforgiving, spiteful * (Full of resentment) bitter

    Derived terms

    * resentfully * resentfulness

    References

    * * *