growl

1 of 2

verb

ˈgrau̇(-ə)l 

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

Synonyms

Verb

• complain
• scream
• whine
• moan
• mutter

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

Verb

The clip shows Lucie rushing into the sitting room, grumbling and growling loudly, and pointing into the kitchen. —Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025

This mobile bar crisscrosses the room’s checkerboard floor with the growling rumble of a subway train. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025

Noun

My poetry began as a father’s sly growl, became a spectacle on a rickety stage washed in limelight, and now is a 70-year-old woman’s walk back into a thousand yesterdays. —Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025

The scents of soy, garlic, and mirin made Charlie’s stomach growl. —Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for growl

• foul
• foule
• fowl
• howl
• jowl
• owl
• prowl
• scowl
• afoul
• wildfowl
• waterfowl

Kids Definition

growl

verb

ˈgrau̇(ə)l

1

a

: rumble entry 1

b

: to utter a deep threatening sound

the dog growled

2

: complain sense 1

growl noun

growler

ˈgrau̇-lər

noun