growly

American  

[grou-lee] / ˈgraʊ li /

adjective

growlier, growliest

1. resembling a growl in pitch and harshness.

   This cold has made my voice growly.

2. irritable; grouchy.

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Usage

What does growly mean? Growly means resembling a growl—a deep, rumbling grrrrr sound made in the throat, like a guard dog makes when there is an intruder.The verb growl means to make such a sound. Growling is typically interpreted as an attempt to intimidate or show hostility.Growling is most often associated with dogs, but other animals can make growly sounds, such as bears. People can do this, too—a young child might make growly noises when throwing a tantrum. Sometimes, it’s used in the context of a thing that’s making a deep rumbling sound, as in There were a lot of growly engine noises coming from the garage.In the context of people, the word growl is more commonly used in a figurative way meaning to say something in a low, gruff, angry tone, as in “Get out now!” he growled. For this reason, the word growly is sometimes used to mean grouchy or irritable.Example: You know how growly he can get before he’s had his morning coffee.

Other Word Forms

• growliness noun

Etymology

Origin of growly

First recorded in 1915–20; growl + -y ¹

Example Sentences

When speaking about his morally questionable character’s philosophy, Bell occasionally quotes Kramer’s phrases verbatim, with the same muted ferocity and growly voice as I’ve heard him do on screen.

From Los Angeles Times

Like Cash with Rick Rubin, Kristofferson teamed with producer Don Was to make a series of late-in-life LPs that didn’t just acknowledge the ravages of time but glorified them with growly, close-miked vocal performances set against intimate acoustic arrangements.

From Los Angeles Times

“Over my career, I’ve been in the ring with some of the biggest, some of the baddest dudes on the planet,” the 70-year-old Hogan said in the growly voice he wields at stage villains.

From Los Angeles Times

“A lot of times in the playoffs, it’s making sure that you keep that energy full, that you cut off your losses and let it go. Then there’s times you want to keep it and eat it and let it burn for a while and find a different kind of energy source. … Tonight, you should be a little growly.”

From Seattle Times

Across 19 songs, they played only three tunes from the latest release, including two of the best: The taut, growly lead single “Angry” and, for the first part of the encore, the gospel-influenced reverie “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.”

From New York Times