gnarled
Americanadjective
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having a rugged, weather-beaten appearance.
a gnarled old sea captain.
adjective
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having gnarls
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(esp of hands) rough, twisted, and weather-beaten in appearance
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perverse or ill-tempered
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gnarled
First recorded in 1595–1605; variant of knurled
Explanation
You’ve probably heard the word "gnarly" used to describe something really awesome. But gnarled means rugged, roughened and knotty, like the hands of an old wood carver, as well as the wood he carves. We owe the adjective gnarled and other forms of the word to our friend Shakespeare, who created it in 1603. In Measure for Measure, he writes, “Thy sharpe and sulpherous bolt splits the un-wedgable and gnarled oak.” But gnarled didn't come into use again until the 19th century. In any case, word experts believe it's related to the Middle English word knar which means “knot in wood.”
Vocabulary lists containing gnarled
List 2
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Walk Two Moons
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"The Treasure of Lemon Brown"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh spoke last Sunday about the club's need for leaders, ideally Scottish leaders and gnarled professionals.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
Firefighters used an excavator to remove broken glass and gnarled metal strewn across the site as policemen with pump-action rifles patrolled on motorbike to prevent looting.
From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026
That made it something of a shock to hear the gnarled aggression of Black Sabbath, Tool, Metallica and other blazing rock anthems close out episodes of Noah Hawley’s blockbuster TV adaptation.
From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025
Looking at a picture of young Keith, gaptoothed and geeky, beside old Keith, as gnarled as Yoda, is a lesson in the nature of time, in what the years can do.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
His face looked as grooved and gnarled as an old door.
From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
