gnarlier; gnarliest
1
: gnarled
gnarly branches
2
slang
: very bad: such as
a
: very difficult or challenging to deal with
a gnarly [=thorny, knotty] problem
gnarly conditions
Having … skidded around gnarly hairpin turns … , the two bikers pedaled furiously for the finish.—
Austin Murphy
Austin Murphy
b
: nasty, unpleasant
"This guy has some pretty gnarly karma coming …"—Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
c
: arousing disgust or distaste : gross
A cute toe polish can't save gnarly, callused soles.—Jessica R. White
Jessica R. White" … It'll be kind of a gruesome death. You know, its fur will start falling out, it'll develop gnarly sores all over its body. … "—David Randall
David Randall3
slang
: cool, excellent
After initially wiping out on the left wave, [Filipe] Toledo responded with a gnarly air reverse on the right and was rewarded with a 9.27.—Hanford Sentinel
Hanford Sentinel
especially
: having a pleasingly or impressively rugged or rough quality
He played in the NFL, but then got bored with football and became a FBI agent. He was a gnarly dude. —Reece Kelley Graham
Reece Kelley Graham And yet [Mark] Knopfler built a reputation as an intensely creative virtuoso (not to mention an ace songwriter), showing remarkable command over a range of tones and textures—from the gnarly distortion on hit single "Money for Nothing" to the stinging precision of "Tunnel of Love." —Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone Examples of gnarly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After a gnarly death in season 3, Mitchell (sort of) reprised the role as Black Noir's replacement, Black Noir II, in the fourth season of Amazon Prime Video smash hit.
—EW.com, 5 June 2025
The six-mile Wilderness Trail passes through the center of the cape between gnarly pines and oaks, with optional trails to the Gulf side of the peninsula giving you the opportunity to create a loop hike (or out and back) of your choice where half of your mileage will be on sugary white sandy beach.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 30 May 2025
Once again, there is gnarly body horror involving children.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 30 May 2025
Among its claims to fame are the steepest cliffs (more than 2,700 feet), the oldest rocks (1.8 billion-years) in North America, and a Gunnison River with gnarly Class V rapids that only the most experienced paddlers can run.
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
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EW.com, 5 June 2025
The six-mile Wilderness Trail passes through the center of the cape between gnarly pines and oaks, with optional trails to the Gulf side of the peninsula giving you the opportunity to create a loop hike (or out and back) of your choice where half of your mileage will be on sugary white sandy beach.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 30 May 2025
Once again, there is gnarly body horror involving children.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 30 May 2025
Among its claims to fame are the steepest cliffs (more than 2,700 feet), the oldest rocks (1.8 billion-years) in North America, and a Gunnison River with gnarly Class V rapids that only the most experienced paddlers can run.
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gnarly
Cite this Entry
“Gnarly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnarly. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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