growl

1 of 2

verb

growled; growling; growls

intransitive verb

1
a
: rumble
his stomach growled
b
: to utter a growl
the dog growled at the stranger
2
: to complain angrily

transitive verb

: to utter with a growl : utter angrily

growl

2 of 2

noun

: a deep guttural inarticulate sound

Examples of growl in a Sentence

Verb I could hear a dog growling behind me. My stomach's been growling all morning. “What do you want?” he growled. He's always growling about the government. Noun The dog gave a menacing growl. He answered my question with a growl. We could hear a growl of thunder in the distance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Other severely anxious pets may growl or even attack other unfamiliar people or animals in a fear response. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2025 Darren McGavin growling his way through the flight! Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
Beginning at the very apex of his falsetto, Hawkins tears through his ode to a life-changing love with an impassioned vocal performance that peppers his slight drawl with histrionic growls, effortlessly matching the rousing energy of the track’s instrumentation. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 This Max Max style road race never fails to elicit gasps of wonder and growls of friendly frustration when the dice come up in an unexpected way. Rob Wieland, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for growl 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English groulen, grollen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1715, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of growl was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near growl

Cite this Entry

“Growl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/growl. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

growl

verb
ˈgrau̇(ə)l
1
b
: to utter a deep threatening sound
the dog growled
2
growl noun
growler
ˈgrau̇-lər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on growl

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