gall
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
gawlIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɡɔl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
figurativeuncountable
A feeling of exasperation.
figurativeuncountable
Great misery or physical suffering, likened to the bitterest-tasting of substances.
An open sore on the back of a horse caused by ill-fitting or badly adjusted saddle
A bump-like imperfection resembling a gall.
phytopathology
A blister or tumor-like growth found on the surface of plants, caused by various pathogens, especially the burrowing of insect larvae into the living tissues, such as that of the common oak gall wasp (Cynips quercusfolii).
verb
transitivefigurative
To harass, to harry, often with the intent to cause injury.
transitive
To impregnate with a decoction of gallnuts in dyeing.
transitivefigurative
To exasperate.
transitivefigurative
To bother or trouble.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
Used this way, gall is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It carries more force than its gentler alternatives. It turns up most in personal or emotional discussion and literature or storytelling contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Strong
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Everyday but emotionally strong
Where it naturally appears
- Personal/emotional discussion
- Literature/storytelling
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use gall
- “It galls me that we lost the suit.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Small solitary wasp that produces galls on oaks and other plants.
Common perennial herb widely distributed in the southern and eastern United States having drooping clusters of pinkish flowers and thick basal leaves suggesting a lion's foot in shape.
Fragile mosquito-like flies that produce galls on plants.
Fragile mosquito-like flies that produce galls on plants.
A muscular sac attached to the liver that stores bile (secreted by the liver) until it is needed for digestion.
Evergreen holly of eastern North America with oblong leathery leaves and small black berries.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.