gnarly

adjective

Definition of gnarlynext
slang
as in ugly

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of gnarly The results have led to important innovations in car safety design, and no shortage of gnarly slow-motion crash footage. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 18 June 2026 If your thyme gets too gnarly after a few years, replace it with new plants. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026 Those old, gnarly boots are the perfect excuse to scroll through the REI shoe sale, just in time for summer. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2026 Between the extreme heat and gnarly wildlife encounters, Survivor isn't exactly the most romantic setting for falling in love — still, a few showmances have withstood the test of time. — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gnarly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gnarly
  1. ugly
  2. hideous
  3. disgusting
  4. hellish
  5. loathsome
  6. horrid
  7. beastly
  8. hateful
Adjective
  • The deals defined one of the ugliest chapters of Russia’s transition to capitalism in the 1990s.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • Leaders must be grounded in self-awareness and their influence, leaning into emotional intelligence and humility; recognizing that different styles shape how people show up amid many influences, good, bad and ugly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • The ace endured a rocky start punctuated by a hideous 11-run blowup in Minnesota and has now been sidelined with a shoulder injury since April 26.
    — Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
  • Everyone's favorite hideous ogre and delusional donkey are finally reunited.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
Definition of hideous
Adjective
  • Deer-Proof Your Garden To keep your flowers from being gobbled up by deer—one of the most heartbreaking of all garden misfortunes—choose flowers that people find glorious and deer find disgusting.
    — Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
  • Where critics see disgusting piles of stuff, hoarders see more.
    — Shivali H. Patra, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of disgusting
Adjective
  • Even with the hellish conditions bearing down around them, the engineers were able to find moments of levity.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026
  • In the new film, the Necronomicon — aka the Book of the Dead — creates a hellish nightmare for a widow, Alice (Souheila Yacoub), and her in-laws following the tragic death of Alice’s husband, Will (George Pullar).
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of hellish
Adjective
  • People commonly used tobacco to treat many ailments, including indigestion, respiratory problems, pain and loathsome mouth afflictions.
    — Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
  • Platner is loathsome in so many ways.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026
Definition of loathsome
Adjective
  • Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described horrid conditions the children were in, saying there was a high presence of feces and bacterial matter.
    — Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
  • While the gummies themselves weren’t old, the smell and the taste are horrid.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026
Definition of horrid
Adjective
  • There must have been something in the air—in addition to the beastly heat and humidity—in Paris these past two weeks.
    — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 7 June 2026
  • The wonderful World of Eternia is positively brimming with heroic warriors, courageous robots, strange mutants, nefarious necromancers, beastly companions, and the coolest command post under the sun, Castle Greyskull.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of beastly
Adjective
  • Look the steady coarsening of American civic and political culture and the ways in which the once-outrageous—the bilious, hateful rhetoric and the creeping authoritarianism—have become almost ordinary.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • Although Fang was charged in a single incident, authorities allege the defendant was responsible for a string of hateful messages found across the Northern California campus.
    — Seamus Bozeman, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of hateful

Browse Nearby Words

G-men
gnarly
gnash
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Cite this Entry

“Gnarly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gnarly. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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