gnarly

American  

[nahr-lee] / ˈnɑr li /

adjective

gnarlier, gnarliest

1. twisted with or as if with gnarls or knots; gnarled.

   long and gnarly fingers.

2. Slang. distasteful or distressing; offensive; gross.

   a comic noted for his gnarly humor.

3. Slang. excellent; wonderful.

   The live album has some gnarly guitar riffs and sweet bass lines.

4. Slang. difficult or dangerous.

   the gnarly surf.

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gnarly British  

/ ˈnɑːlɪ /

adjective

1. another word for gnarled

2. informal good; great

3. slang surfing difficult and dangerous

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Other Word Forms

• gnarliness noun

Etymology

Origin of gnarly

First recorded in 1820–30; gnarl ¹ + -y ¹

Explanation

Something gnarly is twisted, knotty, or bent, like the gnarly branches of an old apple tree or the gnarly fingers of an elderly person. "Gnarled and knotted" is the original meaning of this adjective, from the Middle English knar, "knob, knot, or mass." Confusingly, though, it's just as commonly used in two other (completely opposite) ways, to mean both "difficult" and "wonderful." In the 1970s, North American surfers adopted gnarly into their slang to describe a huge, dangerous wave. Later it came to mean "awesome," as in: "Listen to this gnarly guitar solo!"

Example Sentences

“The North Shore is pretty gnarly right now. So hopefully everyone’s safe and getting out. Stay safe out there,” he added.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

This is a native landscape of dark and gnarly forms of oak trees, which are numbered in chalk to keep track of their stripping.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The result was Pinkerton, a gnarly, bruised album that tapped into Cuomo's loneliness, boredom and anger.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

The film featured gnarly practical effects, outsized, absurdist humor and enough fake blood to fill a local water tower.

From Salon • Aug. 23, 2025

The reef is gnarly here, not something a surfer wants to be dropped on by a ten-foot wall of water.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila