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 three-foot-tall evergreen with a gnarly, twisted trunk is located near the miniature Geppetto’s Workshop in Pinocchio’s Village. — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 7 July 2026 His first round 64 came largely after the gnarly winds died down and the course eased up. — Brody Miller, New York Times, 19 June 2026 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 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
  • But, at the heart of it is what appears to be a very ugly feud between two public servants.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Damage goes deep Friday’s loss followed a much uglier version of the same problem.
    — Tyler M. Carmona, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • Illiteracy, and its centuries-long ongoing epidemic, is hideous.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 21 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of hideous
Adjective
  • To interrogate Fauci now, for absolutely no coherent reason and completely without sense, is shameful and disgusting.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The left's most hated author — JK Rowling — has dropped the hammer on the disgusting things that took place at the Indiana Fever-Seattle Storm game earlier this week.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 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
  • The horrid digital-botox prologue feels like an explosion at the Unnecessary Cameo Factory.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of horrid
Adjective
  • The German tuner, known for turning luxe cars from Lamborghini to Bentley into absurd, beastly powerhouses, has teamed up with the folks at Sunreef on a new 55-foot cat.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 28 July 2026
  • Yet Corsini transforms his shocking premise into a beastly and beautiful character study, one that’s smartly supported by a mostly Italian ensemble and truly revelatory second antagonist.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of beastly
Adjective
  • When Rodrigo, Perry, Grande, and Kahan made public comments, spokespeople for the White House used the opportunity to spread hateful rhetoric.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Without human oversight, AI can end up penalizing the very communities most vulnerable to the hateful content the systems are designed to combat.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 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 13 Aug. 2026.

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