What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
riling
Example
He kept riling me up by making fun of my accent. [riling: verb]
Example
The constant noise from the construction site was really riling up the neighbors. [riling: present participle]
annoy
Example
The sound of the dripping faucet was starting to annoy me. [annoy: verb]
Example
It really annoys me when people don't clean up after themselves. [annoy: present tense]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Annoy is more commonly used than rile in everyday language. Annoy is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while rile is less common and tends to be used in more specific situations.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between riling and annoy?
Both rile and annoy can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but rile may be perceived as more informal or even slangy compared to annoy.