galling
adjective, noun, verb
galling is spelled G-A-L-L-I-N-G: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 51,738th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, galling means “Vexing, humiliating; eliciting indignation or bitterness” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in galling?
| Letters | 7: G-A-L-L-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 51,738th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is galling?
Galling appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 51,738th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce galling?
Galling has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forms of galling
- more galling comparative
- most galling superlative
- gallings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does galling mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Vexing, humiliating; eliciting indignation or bitterness.
noun
- 1
A feeling that induces bitterness.
the gallings of one's own conscience
- 2
Material transfer caused by adhesion between sliding surfaces, potentially resulting in wear or binding.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of gall
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Galling in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense vexing:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | ärgerlich |
| Spanish | fastidioso, molestoso, irritante |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does galling come from?
From gall + -ing. The adjective follows from the verb.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).