growl

[ groul ]
See synonyms for: growlgrowledgrowling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)
  1. to utter a deep guttural sound of anger or hostility: The dog growled at the mail carrier.

  2. to murmur or complain angrily; grumble.

  1. to rumble: The thunder growled.

  2. Jazz. to use flutter-tonguing in playing a wind instrument.

verb (used with object)
  1. to express by growling.

noun
  1. the act or sound of growling.

  2. Jazz. the technique of flutter-tonguing.

Origin of growl

1
1350–1400; Middle English groule to rumble (said of the bowels); cognate with German grollen

synonym study For growl

2. See complain.

Other words from growl

  • growl·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·der·growl, noun
  • un·growl·ing, adjective

Words Nearby growl

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use growl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for growl

growl

/ (ɡraʊl) /


verb
  1. (of animals, esp when hostile) to utter (sounds) in a low inarticulate manner: the dog growled at us

  2. to utter (words) in a gruff or angry manner: he growled an apology

  1. (intr) to make sounds suggestive of an animal growling: the thunder growled around the lake

noun
  1. the act or sound of growling

  2. jazz an effect resembling a growl, produced at the back of the throat when playing a wind instrument

Origin of growl

1
C18: from earlier grolle, from Old French grouller to grumble

Derived forms of growl

  • growlingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012