What does "roil" mean?
Roil: To disturb, as the temper; to ruffle the temper of; to rouse the passion of resentment in; to perplex. That his friends should believe it, was what roiled him [Judge Jeffreys] exceedingly. R. North. Note: Provincial in England and colloquial in the United States. A commoner, but less approved, form is rile.
Additional senses
- 2.To wander; to roam. [Obs.]
- 3.To romp. [Prov.Eng.] Halliwell.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-roil-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00