Make Your Point > Archived Issues > RANKLE

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connect today's word to others: Consider the Latin word draco, meaning "dragon" or "serpent." It gave us dragon, Draconian, and Dracula. And a Latin word for "little dragon" gave rise to draoncle, meaning "a festering sore"--how appropriate, right? Draoncle turned into rankle, today's word. When something rankles you, it bothers you for a long time, like a festering sore, like a little dragon biting you over and over. Let's back up and look at the word festering again. Could you explain what it means when a sore is festering? And, getting more abstract, what does it mean when an insult, a bad feeling, or a bad situation is festering? (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "RANKLE" A literal rankle is a type of sore on the body. And a figurative rankle is something that pains you or bothers you for a long time, often a thought or a feeling. And when something rankles you, it pains you or bothers you for a long time, like a sore. Pronunciation: RAIN kull (rhymes with "ankle") Part of speech: These days, we use it most often as a verb. It can be both transitive (something rankles someone) and intransitive (something just rankles). Other common forms: rankles; rankled, rankling How to use it: Talk about things that rankle us, such as insults, demands, complaints, hypocrisy, favoritism, mistreatment, eyesores, bad weather, personal failures, someone's unwelcome presence, or someone's refusal to accept the empirical truth. Although it's often things that rankle us, it can also be people: "He rankled even his allies with such crass comments." "With its terrible customer service, Comcast continues to rankle its customers." You can also say that people rankle, meaning they feel hurt and upset over something for a long time. Talk about people rankling at, over, or with a problem, or talk about people simply rankling, often for a period of time: "She rankled for weeks after being fired." Sometimes we say that a bad feeling rankles: that grief, sorrow, hatred, bitterness, or animosity rankles. Let's look at the adjectives, too: "rankled" and "rankling." You might talk about rankled people and their rankled hearts and souls. Or, talk about rankling insults and remarks; rankling envy and bitterness; rankling stings and wounds; rankling teeth, thorns, arrows, and venom, etc. examples: Under all her bluster is a rankling insecurity. The author's rampant sexism rankles me, but I still plan on finishing the book. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "rankle" means when you can explain it without saying "vex" or "pester." try it out: Fill in the blank: "Although it's unfair when _____, don't let it rankle you." Example: "Although it's unfair when a test covers topics that weren't discussed in class, don't let it rankle you." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Last month, we played "Subject Line Redux." You recalled previous words we've studied based on the little comments I made about them in our email subject lines. From our previous issue:  Answers: This month, we're playing "Game of Games!" Guess the one-word title of each board game, using your knowledge of vocabulary. Try this today:  Designed by Rikki Tahta, this game has players battling it out to grab the throne. Board Game Geek reports, "Beware as the game can end suddenly with a bold attack on an inadequately defended castle, making for a game that can be very nasty, brutish and short." The game's title means "a brawl: an angry, confusing, hand-to-hand fight among many people." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this? (I'll share the answer in the next issue.) review today's word: 1. The opposite of RANKLE is A. TAMP. B. SALVE. C. ULCERATE. 2. Decades later, she's still rankled by _____. A. the poem's beauty and simplicity  B. her failure to be admitted to medical school C. the anonymous gifts that appeared at her door Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B