Rile
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "rile" means to irritate, anger, or stir up. It’s the everyday way folks say "annoy," especially in the phrase "rile up."
synonyms: annoy, aggravate, stir up, upset
Hillbilly Dude Says...
If you're out in the country, you're bound to hear somebody use 'riled' or 'rile up,' it's a common one. Hillbilly Dude Says...
If you're out in the country, you're bound to hear somebody use 'riled' or 'rile up,' it's a common one. Pronunciation
[RAHL] or [RAH-yul]
/raɪl/
/raɪl/
Meaning & Usage
- To irritate, anger, or stir to agitation (verb)
Mae:
Don’t rile him up, he’s had a long day.
Don’t rile him up, he’s had a long day.
Earl:
I didn’t say nothin’-he just stays riled.
I didn’t say nothin’-he just stays riled.variations: rile up, riled, riled up
Origin and Etymology
A Southern and South Midland variant of "roil," both meaning "to make muddy or stir up." Early American settlers extended it metaphorically to emotions-someone "riled" is stirred or agitated inside. Recorded in U.S. dialect since the early 1800s, especially across the Appalachian and Deep South regions.
Usage Notes
- Common throughout the South and Appalachia, but less so in Northern or Western speech.
- Rile up - to provoke anger or excitement ("Don’t rile him up again").
- Riled up - the resulting state of irritation or agitation.
- Outside the South, "rile" is often recognized but sounds rustic or old-fashioned.