Rile up Meaning in English
expression
ˈɹaɪɫ/ /ˈəp
RYEL-up
ɹˈaɪl/ /ˈʌp
RYLE-up
Definition
To make someone angry, excited, or very upset, often on purpose or by saying something provocative.
Usage & Nuances
Informal, mainly conversational American English. Commonly used to describe stirring up strong emotions, especially anger or excitement. Often followed by 'about' or 'over'; e.g., 'rile up the crowd'. Similar to 'wind up', but 'rile up' focuses more on irritation or agitation.
Spanish: alterar - enfurecer - agitarPortuguese (BR): provocar - irritar - agitarPortuguese (PT): enervar - irritar - agitarChinese (Simplified): 激怒 - 惹怒 - 挑动Chinese (Traditional): 激怒 - 惹怒 - 挑動Hindi: गुस्सा दिलाना - भड़कानाArabic: إغضاب - استفزاز - إثارةBengali: উত্তেজিত করা - খেপিয়ে তোলাRussian: раззадорить - взбудоражить - разозлитьJapanese: 興奮させる - 怒らせるVietnamese: kích động - chọc giậnKorean: 흥분시키다 - 화나게 하다Turkish: kışkırtmak - kızdırmakUrdu: اکسانا - بھڑکاناIndonesian: membuat kesal - memprovokasi - menyulut
Example Sentences
Don't rile up your little brother before bedtime.
basic
The speech riled up the whole crowd.
basic
Please don't rile up the dog.
basic
She loves to rile up her friends with silly jokes.
natural
He got all riled up about the game last night.
natural
Don't listen to him—he's just trying to rile you up.
natural