gnarly
/ˈnɑɹli/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.77 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Having or characterized by gnarls; gnarled.
Example Sentences
- "a gnarly stump"
- "Out of one window I can see the garden, those mysterious deep-shaded arbors, the riotous old-fashioned flowers, and bushes and gnarly trees."
- "a gnarly dude"
- "There ain't nothing gnarlier (apparently) than slapping on some brightly coloured sunblock to ward off the blinding spectre of dangerous, snow-reflected sunlight."
- "a gnarly problem"
- "When the swell struck, the North Shore got gnarly, and the wise ones hit the outer islands where the energy was just as juicy but a bit more organized."
Etymology
From gnarl (“knot in wood”) + -y. The slang senses were particularly popularized by US surf culture in the 1970s.
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈnɑɹli/
- British English: /ˈnɑːli/