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
- ungnarled adjective
Etymology
Origin of gnarled
First recorded in 1595–1605; variant of knurled
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.
It’s about two miles to my new home—a cottage with a thatched roof, surrounded by tall grass and gnarled apple trees.
From Literature
“Just a few hours,” I mumble, staring out the window at a gnarled oak tree that twists up to the sky.
From Literature
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
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
It’ll be a long time before the baby Joshua trees resemble the gnarled icons that dot the park.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
