wrangle
/ˈɹeɪ̯ŋɡəl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.60 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
Followed by out of: to elicit (something) from a person by arguing or bargaining.
Transitive verb
verb
To speak or write (something) in an argumentative or contentious manner.
Archaic; Transitive verb
verb
Followed by out of: to compel or drive (someone or something) away through arguing.
Obsolete; Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "[W]e vvrangled out of the King ten quarters of Corne for a copper Kettel, the vvhich the Preſident preceiving him much to affect, valued it at a much greater rate; […]"
- "[H]e has taken in, Sir, the vvhole ſubject,— […] begging, borrovving, and ſtealing, as he vvent along, all that had been vvrote or vvrangled thereupon in the ſchools and porticos of the learned; […]"
- "When she [Debbie Reynolds as Lucretia Rogers] tries to wrangle a calf, she ends up flat on her face in the barnyard muck."
- "Wrangling a chaotic group of five-year-olds is unnerving enough without the added stress of a famous NHLer [Brian Gionta] in the room helping lace his son’s skates."
- "To VVrangle the Devil, out of the Country, vvill be truly a Nevv Experiment! Alas, vve are not Avvare of the Devil, if vve do not think, that he aims at Enflaming us one againſt another; & ſhall vve ſuffer our ſelves to be Devil-Ridden? or, by any Vnadviſableneſs, contribute unto the VVidening of our Breaches?"
- "VVell then, if I make 'hem not vvrangle out this caſe, to his no comfort, let me be thought a Iack Davv, or La-Foole, or any thing vvorſe."
Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English wranglen, wrangle (“to contend with (someone) in a test of strength; (figuratively) to make misleading arguments to entrap”); from a Middle Dutch or Middle Low German word related to Middle Dutch wrangen and Middle Low German wrangen (“to cause an uproar; to struggle, wrestle”) (whence Low German wrangeln (“to wrangle”)), related to Middle Dutch wringen (“to twist; to wrest; to wring; to struggle, wrestle”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze; to twist; to wring”). The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * Danish vringle (“to twist, entangle”) * German rangeln (“to wrestle”)
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: wranglen, -
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɹeɪ̯ŋɡəl/
Usage
Inflected Forms
wrangles (present, singular)
wrangling (participle, present)
wrangled (participle, past)
wrangled (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
wrangled (first person, past)
wranglest (archaic, present)
wrangled (past, second person)
wrangledst (archaic, past)
wrangleth (archaic, present)
wrangled (past, singular)