roil

C2 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /rɔɪl/ UK /rɔɪl/ See IPA manual

Freq #246954

Meanings

1

verb
to make a liquid cloudy or muddy by stirring up sediment

The oar roiled the clear shallows and lifted silt from the bottom.
2

verb
to disturb, agitate, or anger a person, group, or situation

The sudden accusation roiled the otherwise calm meeting.
3

verb
to move in a turbulent, churning way or remain in a state of agitation

Dark clouds roiled above the coast as the storm approached.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make a liquid cloudy or... stir upmuddyturbidize

2 verb · to disturb, agitate, or... agitate disturb anger

3 verb · to move in a turbulent,... churn seethe surge

Opposites

settle clarify calm soothe

Word family

Forms roiling

Derived forms roilerroilyunroiled

Related forms rile turbid churn

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. Roil may be related to Middle French rouiller, 'to make muddy or rusty,' from a word for mud or rust. Its earliest English senses concern making liquid turbid; the meanings 'agitate' and 'anger' developed figuratively from that disturbance.

Topics

Cause, Change & Process

External links

# roil

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /rɔɪl/
**IPA (UK):** /rɔɪl/
**Frequency rank:** 246954

## Meanings
1. to make a liquid cloudy or muddy by stirring up sediment
2. to disturb, agitate, or anger a person, group, or situation
3. to move in a turbulent, churning way or remain in a state of agitation

## Examples
- The oar roiled the clear shallows and lifted silt from the bottom.
- The sudden accusation roiled the otherwise calm meeting.
- Dark clouds roiled above the coast as the storm approached.

## Synonyms
- stir up
- muddy
- agitate
- disturb
- churn
- seethe

## Antonyms
- settle
- clarify
- calm
- soothe

## Derived Forms
- roiler
- roily
- unroiled

## Related Forms
- rile
- turbid
- churn

## Etymology
The origin is uncertain. Roil may be related to Middle French rouiller, 'to make muddy or rusty,' from a word for mud or rust. Its earliest English senses concern making liquid turbid; the meanings 'agitate' and 'anger' developed figuratively from that disturbance.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process

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