rile up
Get someone seething
To rile up is to agitate or provoke someone into anger or excitement: Don't rile him up before the meeting.
Politicians and media figures rile up their audiences.
The phrase is slightly more emphatic than rile alone, emphasizing the process of working someone into an emotional state: The crowd was all riled up.
- irritateCause mild anger
- get a rise out ofProvoke a reaction
- provokeIncite a response
- antagonizeIncite hostility in
- inciteUrge toward action
anger · get under skin · rankle · agitate · exasperation · rabble-rouser · hornet's nest · frustration · push buttons · inflame · vexation · fan the flames · goad · aggravate · annoy · ruffle feathers · needle · enrage
- Cause a stirmake waves, rock the boat, stir the pot, raise eyebrows, ruffle feathers
- troublemakingtroublemaker, troublemaking, instigate, agitator, instigating
- agitateagitate, stir, rouse, disturb, annoy