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
This industry can be pretty gnarly on your self-esteem.
—Keaton Bell, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025
Cinematic vampirism has also taken many forms over the years, including gothic horror classics like Dracula (1931), gnarly superhero fare like Blade (1998), and twisted love stories like the Twilight Saga.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
Gruesome, to be sure, and Monster incorporates all of those gnarly details and more.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
The Oscar winner stars as school bus driver Kevin McKay, who has to transport nearly two dozen kids to safety while speeding through obstacles like falling power lines, crazy wind gusts and gnarly, all-consuming flames.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
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Keaton Bell, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2025
Cinematic vampirism has also taken many forms over the years, including gothic horror classics like Dracula (1931), gnarly superhero fare like Blade (1998), and twisted love stories like the Twilight Saga.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
Gruesome, to be sure, and Monster incorporates all of those gnarly details and more.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
The Oscar winner stars as school bus driver Kevin McKay, who has to transport nearly two dozen kids to safety while speeding through obstacles like falling power lines, crazy wind gusts and gnarly, all-consuming flames.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Oct. 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 18 Oct. 2025.
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