gnarlier; gnarliest
1
: gnarled
gnarly branches
2
slang
: very bad: such as
a
: very difficult or challenging to deal with
a gnarly [=thorny, knotty] problem
gnarly conditions
Having … skidded around gnarly hairpin turns … , the two bikers pedaled furiously for the finish.—Austin Murphy
b
: nasty, unpleasant
"This guy has some pretty gnarly karma coming …"—Drew Barrymore
c
: arousing disgust or distaste : gross
A cute toe polish can't save gnarly, callused soles.—Jessica R. White
" … It'll be kind of a gruesome death. You know, its fur will start falling out, it'll develop gnarly sores all over its body. … "—David Randall
3
slang
: cool, excellent
After initially wiping out on the left wave, [Filipe] Toledo responded with a gnarly air reverse on the right and was rewarded with a 9.27.—Hanford Sentinel
especially
: having a pleasingly or impressively rugged or rough quality
He played in the NFL, but then got bored with football and became a FBI agent. He was a gnarly dude. —Reece Kelley Graham
And yet [Mark] Knopfler built a reputation as an intensely creative virtuoso (not to mention an ace songwriter), showing remarkable command over a range of tones and textures—from the gnarly distortion on hit single "Money for Nothing" to the stinging precision of "Tunnel of Love." —Rolling Stone
Cite this Entry
“Gnarly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnarly. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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