growly
Americanadjective
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resembling a growl in pitch and harshness.
This cold has made my voice growly.
-
irritable; grouchy.
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
Etymology
Origin of growly
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.
See Examples For:
There are people who prefer their sports growly and can’t stand the sight of players hugging and postgame jersey swaps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026
Drawing on the icy glares of 21 Savage and Young Nudy, but with a growly, punkish urgency, who can’t relate to a mixtape titled, simply, “F- School.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
“We still hear when they thought we would die,” Bourelly raps with a growly defiance and unabashed positivity.
From New York Times ● Feb. 24, 2023
Despite being three feet high, Chucky is hyper-masculine with a growly, deep voice.
From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2022
“I never had the choice,” he says, sounding just the slightest bit growly.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
The strange land of heightened sensation that is the Sauter-Finegan band, where low is growlier, sharp is edgier, and no sounds are untinted.
From Time Magazine Archive
And that period just happened to witness a severe recession, a galloping inflation and one of the growliest bear markets in Wall Street history, during which the Dow fell no less than 45%.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
