growl

1 of 2

verb

growled; growling; growls
Synonyms of growlnext

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
The jaguar growled, whirled and bit off the protruding head of the arrow. Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026 China holds Tibet without noticeable bother, commits crimes against its Uyghur Muslim minority with impunity, launches acts of aggression against its neighbors in the South China Sea, and growls off any court or tribunal that looks askance—which few do. David Frum, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
My father was a lump under the covers, snoring a thick growl. Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026 Then the entrepreneurial growl. Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Growl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/growl. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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

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