Synonyms of roil

roil

verb

ˈrȯi(-ə)l 

1

as in to swirl

to be in a state of violent rolling motion

the waters of the gulf tossed and roiled as the hurricane surged toward the shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

• swirl
• churn
• boil
• seethe
• spin
• whirl
• stir
• moil
• reel
• agitate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• calm
• abate
• subside

2

as in to anger

to make angry

the clerk's brusque refusal of her request roiled her enough to prompt a complaint to his supervisor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• anger
• infuriate
• enrage
• annoy
• outrage
• irritate
• rile
• enflame
• inflame
• rankle
• mad
• ire
• aggravate
• offend
• steam up
• provoke
• incense
• madden
• tick off
• vex
• exasperate
• rub the wrong way
• affront
• pique
• get one's goat
• ruffle
• cross
• antagonize
• burn (up)
• embitter
• put out
• huff
• miff
• nettle
• get
• peeve
• envenom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• please
• relieve
• delight
• gratify
• allay
• assuage
• soothe
• placate
• appease
• settle
• pacify
• comfort
• console
• calm
• conciliate
• quiet
• lull
• mollify
• charm
• disarm
• captivate
• beguile
• bewitch
• enchant

Examples of roil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The strike essentially shut down all cargo ports on the eastern side of the U.S., potentially roiling the economy and supply chains for everything from groceries to automobiles. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024

Past coverage Politics California races roiled by border, immigration. —Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024

Zoom out: Any move to kick Republicans off committees would be a continuation of a tit for tat that has roiled the last two congressional terms. —Andrew Solender, Axios, 19 Sep. 2024

The two live cuts from 1965, on which Bell is accompanied by the bassist Larry Gales and the drummer Ben Riley—both members of Thelonious Monk’s quartet—reflect a darkly moody fervor roiling its surfaces and feature passages of nerve-fraying rapidity. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024