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View synonyms for

gnarly

[ nahr-lee ]

adjective

gnarlier, gnarliest.
  1. twisted with or as if with gnarls or knots; gnarled:

    long and gnarly fingers.

  2. Slang. distasteful or distressing; offensive; gross:

    a comic noted for his gnarly humor.

  3. Slang. excellent; wonderful:

    The live album has some gnarly guitar riffs and sweet bass lines.

  4. Slang. difficult or dangerous:

    the gnarly surf.



gnarly

/ ˈɑːɪ /

adjective

  1. another word for gnarled
  2. informal.
    good; great
  3. slang.
    surfing difficult and dangerous
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • Բi·Ա noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of gnarly1

First recorded in 1820–30; gnarl 1 + -y 1
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

If being alone is the eternal problem, as Sade and Mina seem to acknowledge, love, in all its gnarly reality, is the only way to be truly seen.

From

In February, during a gnarly bout of the flu, I found both comfort and strength in my very first cup of elderberry lemon balm tea.

From

Contact often results in a gnarly skin rash.

From

His legs are “still messed up” now, he told Bensinger, pulling up a pant leg to reveal a gnarly scarred calf.

From

“Jessie’s Girl” rocker Rick Springfield says he lives with the lasting toll of a gnarly fall that happened decades ago.

From

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