Rankle

Word of the Day for Saturday, November 12, 2011

rankle \RANG-kuhl\, verb:

1. To cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in.
2. To continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind; fester; be painful.

She holds that scornful expression long enough to make sure I notice. I make believe I don't. I try not to let it rankle me.
-- Joseph Heller, Something Happened

The section of it which chiefly rankled in Charteris's mind, and which had continued to rankle ever since, was that in which the use of the word “buffoon” had occurred.
-- P. G. Wodehouse, Tales of St. Austin's

Rankle has a complex history. It derives from the Middle English word rancler meaning “to fester” which is a derivative of draoncle, late Latin for “a sore” which itself comes from the Latin draco me

aning “a serpent.”

With thanks to: http://www.dictionary.com/