On the right of the station were two gnarly cottonwood trees... — Mark Goodwin, Last Words
When the swell struck, the North Shore got gnarly, and the wise ones hit the outer islands where the energy was just as juicy but a bit more organized. — Surfer Magazine, March 1977
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Gnarly — Gnarl y, a. Full of knots; knotty; twisted; crossgrained. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
gnarly — 1829, knotted and rugged, from gnarl (see GNARLED (Cf. gnarled)) + Y (Cf. y) (2). Picked up 1970s as surfer slang to describe a dangerous wave; it had spread in teen slang by 1982, where it meant both excellent and disgusting … Etymology dictionary
gnarly — [adj] cool, excellent boss*, finest, great, hairy*, keen, magnificent, marvelous, neat, nifty, sensational, superb, swell, wonderful; concept 574 … New thesaurus
gnarly — ► ADJECTIVE (gnarlier, gnarliest) 1) gnarled. 2) N. Amer. informal dangerous, challenging, or unpleasant … English terms dictionary
gnarly — gnarl|y [ˈna:li US ˈna:r ] adj 1.) a gnarly tree or branch is rough and twisted with hard lumps = ↑gnarled 2.) gnarly hands or fingers are twisted, rough, and difficult to move, usually because they are old = ↑gnarled 3.) AmE spoken a word… … Dictionary of contemporary English
gnarly — adjective (gnarlier; gnarliest) Date: 1773 1. gnarled 2. slang a. difficult, hairy < skidded around gnarly hairpin turns Austin Murphy > b. bad, nasty < has some pretty … New Collegiate Dictionary
gnarly — gnarl|y [ narli ] adjective 1. ) AMERICAN INFORMAL complicated and difficult to deal with: gnarly problems 2. ) AMERICAN INFORMAL OLD FASHIONED very good and exciting: AWESOME 3. ) GNARLED: gnarly roots … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
gnarly — I adj (Surfing) Big or difficult. He wiped out on a gnarly wave. 1980s II adj Excellent, outstanding. She does a really gnarly job at computer programming. 1980s … Historical dictionary of American slang
gnarly — /ˈnali/ (say nahlee) adjective 1. Colloquial difficult; awkward: a gnarly problem. 2. Colloquial excellent; terrific: a gnarly surf. 3. → gnarled. {gnarl + y1} …
gnarly — gnarliness, n. /nahr lee/, adj., gnarlier, gnarliest. 1. gnarled. 2. Slang. distasteful; distressing; offensive; gross: a comic noted for his gnarly humor. [1820 30; GNARL1 + Y1] * * * … Universalium
