Rancor

//ˈɹæŋkəɹ// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A feeling of long-lasting ire for another, sometimes to the point of hatred, over a perceived wrongdoing; bitterness. US, countable, uncountable

    "I could almost see the rancor in his eyes when he challenged me to a fight."

  2. 2
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will wordnet
  3. 3
    Rancidity, rankness. US, countable, rare, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To rankle or fester. US, archaic

Synonyms

All synonyms
bitternessresentmentresentmentacerbityacidacidity

Example

More examples

"Even now, many years after the Cold War, there is still much rancor between the Russians and the Germans, especially in areas once occupied by the Soviet Union."

Etymology

First attested in the 13th century as Middle English rancour, from Old French rancor, from Latin rancor (“rancidity, grudge, rancor”), from ranceō (“I am rotten or putrid”), from which also English rancid.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.