1
as in frustrating
causing annoyance her holier-than-thou attitude is galling
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally losing in the last round of play-offs was galling to our home team
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in eroding
to damage or diminish by continued friction move that rope so the sharp edge of the hull doesn't gall it
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2
as in annoying
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts humming through your nose like that absolutely galls me
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3
as in irritating
to make sore by continued rubbing tie your shoes so they don't gall your heels sliding on and off like that
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of galling
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025 That's especially galling to Agriculture Department employee Cole Gandy, who trains CBP workers stationed at ports of entry on how to inspect agricultural imports for pests. —Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 24 Nov. 2025 The case of the Renteria family was particularly galling for those trying to uphold Loving County’s residency requirements. —Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for galling
Adjective
What’s particularly galling is that many who reap Wall Street trading largesse are quick to point the finger at others over unethical behavior. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025 That's especially galling to Agriculture Department employee Cole Gandy, who trains CBP workers stationed at ports of entry on how to inspect agricultural imports for pests. —Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
Particularly galling to California taxpayers – who must balance the family budget in a state with a punishinglyhigh cost of living – is the fact that the deficits persist even with huge revenue increases. —Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 24 Nov. 2025 The case of the Renteria family was particularly galling for those trying to uphold Loving County’s residency requirements. —Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for galling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for galling
Adjective
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Five baserunners and two homers later, the Tigers had a 5-1 lead en route to another frustrating start for Crochet in what’s been a season-long trend for the rotation.— Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
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Though Sunday did mark some level of improvement after last Monday’s catastrophe, Crochet acknowledged that this outing was even more frustrating.— Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Think about caring for an ill mate, losing income because of having to give up your job, having difficulty paying your bills and suffering from painful arthritis while serving as the unpaid caregiver.— Helen Dennis, Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
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Jan Garrod said the cost of farming and trucking with the skyrocketing cost of diesel is almost too painful to think about.— Laura Ness, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Despite nationwide polls showing eroding support, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán retains strong backing in rural communities and among older Hungarians, who credit him with representing their interests and maintaining national pride.— Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
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In the years following the departure of Ailes, many critics further assailed the network for eroding any line between news reporting and commentary and political advocacy.— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
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But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Sure, there are worse problems to have in life, but there’s no denying that fruit flies are irritating.— Christine Fiorentino, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026
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Oklahoma City is irritating, but never stops winning.— Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The story centers on a young couple (Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny) whose lives become entangled with their volatile boss and his wife (Isaac and Carey Mulligan) after witnessing a disturbing incident at an elite country club.— Clayton Davis, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
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Before the footage was shown, as PEOPLE previously reported, Judge George Gallagher warned those in the courtroom that the material would be disturbing.— Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even in the harshest descriptions of the violence and almost unbelievably cruel twists of fate that Yarris endured (the DNA testing keeps getting accidentally mucked up), Brody lends him a vital indomitable spark.— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
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When the camera's weren't rolling, McCracken says, Couric gave some harsh advice.— Charles Trepany, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That moment came courtesy of a guy wearing a Cubs uniform, but Monday grew up in Santa Monica and delivered his spontaneous commemoration of Flag Day in the year of America’s bicentennial.— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
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And the University of San Francisco issued a public safety warning to students after a man wearing Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses was suspected of filming women with the intention of posting the videos online.— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Galling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/galling. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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