Gall \Gall\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Galled (g[add]ld); p. pr. &
vb. n. Galling.] [OE. gallen; cf. F. galer to scratch, rub,
gale scurf, scab, G. galle a disease in horses' feet, an
excrescence under the tongue of horses; of uncertain origin.
Cf. Gall gallnut.]
1. To fret and wear away by friction; to hurt or break the
skin of by rubbing; to chafe; to injure the surface of by
attrition; as, a saddle galls the back of a horse; to gall
a mast or a cable.
[1913 Webster]
I am loth to gall a new-healed wound. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. To fret; to vex; as, to be galled by sarcasm.
[1913 Webster]
They that are most galled with my folly,
They most must laugh. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. To injure; to harass; to annoy; as, the troops were galled
by the shot of the enemy.
[1913 Webster]
In our wars against the French of old, we used to
gall them with our longbows, at a greater distance
than they could shoot their arrows. --Addison.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Galling \Gall"ing\, a.
Fitted to gall or chafe; vexing; harassing; irritating. --
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
galling
adj : causing irritation or annoyance; "tapping an annoying rhythm
on his glass with his fork"; "aircraft noise is
particularly bothersome near the airport"; "found it
galling to have to ask permission"; "an irritating
delay"; "nettlesome paperwork"; "a pesky mosquito";
"swarms of pestering gnats"; "a plaguey newfangled
safety catch"; "a teasing and persistent thought
annoyed him"; "a vexatious child"; "it is vexing to
have to admit you are wrong" [syn: annoying, bothersome,
irritating, nettlesome, pesky, pestering, pestiferous,
plaguy, plaguey, teasing, vexatious, vexing]
WordNet (r) 2.0
51 Moby Thesaurus words for "galling":
ablative, abradant, abrasive, afflictive, aggravating, annoying,
attritive, bothering, bothersome, chafing, distasteful, disturbing,
erosive, exasperating, fretting, gnawing, grating, grievous,
grinding, harassing, importunate, importune, irking, irksome,
irritant, irritating, irritative, painful, pesky, pestering,
pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, plaguesome, plaguey,
plaguing, provoking, rasping, scratchy, stinging, teasing,
tiresome, tormenting, troublesome, troubling, unpalatable,
vexatious, vexing, wearisome, worrisome, worrying
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
|
|
|