Meanings
gnarl1
noungnarl (plural gnarls)
plural gnarls
- A knot in wood; a knurl or a protuberance with twisted grain, on a tree.
- Something resembling a knot in wood, such as in stone or limbs.
verbgnarl (third-person singular simple present gnarls, present participle gnarling, simple past and past participle gnarled)
present singular third person gnarls · participle present gnarling · participle past gnarled · past gnarled
- transitiveTo knot or twist something.
gnarl2
verbgnarl (third-person singular simple present gnarls, present participle gnarling, simple past and past participle gnarled)
present singular third person gnarls · participle present gnarling · participle past gnarled · past gnarled
- intransitiveTo snarl or growl; to gnar.
And wolves are gnarling who shall gnaw thee first.
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]
Synonyms & antonyms
verbmake complaining remarks or noises under one's breath
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian чеп, чвор
- чеп (čep)knot in wood
- чвор (čvor)knot in wood
- ръмжа (rămža)to snarl
Czech vrčet
- vrčetto snarl
Dutch knoest
- knoestknot in wood
Finnish pahka, pahkura
- pahkaknot in wood
- pahkurasomething resembling a knot in wood
- kyhmysomething resembling a knot in wood
- väännelläto knot or twist
- murjoato knot or twist
- muristato snarl
- äristäto snarl
French noeud
- noeudknot in wood
German Knorren
- Knorrenknot in wood
Greek όζος, ρόζος
- όζος (ózos)knot in wood
- ρόζος (rózos)knot in wood
Italian nodo (di albero)
- nodo (di albero)knot in wood
Polish sęk
- sękknot in wood
Russian сучо́к
- сучо́к (sučók)knot in wood
Spanish nudo, nudo
- nudoknot in wood
- nudosomething resembling a knot in wood
- anudarto knot or twist
- enredarto knot or twist
Thai ตาไม้
- ตาไม้ (dtaa-máai)knot in wood
Turkish budak
- budakknot in wood
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with gnarl
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
gnarl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gnarl
MLA
“gnarl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gnarl. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gnarl,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gnarl.
Source: gnarl on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.