Gnarly
adjective
Difficult, complex or tricky to deal with or understand.
That math problem was really gnarly.
Often appears as...
- gnarly problem
- gnarly situation
Usage tips
Colloquial
adjective
Used to describe something that is gnarled or twisted.
He had gnarly old fingers from a lifetime of hard work.
Often appears as...
- gnarly tree
- gnarly fingers
adjective
Very good or impressive. Often used by surfers about a wave or ride.
Wow, that was a gnarly wave!
Often appears as...
- gnarly wave
- gnarly ride
Usage tips
Informal, Approving
adjective
Difficult, complex or tricky to deal with or understand.
That math problem was really gnarly.
Often appears as...
- gnarly problem
- gnarly situation
Usage tips
Colloquial
adjective
Used to describe something that is gnarled or twisted.
He had gnarly old fingers from a lifetime of hard work.
Often appears as...
- gnarly tree
- gnarly fingers
adjective
Very good or impressive. Often used by surfers about a wave or ride.
Wow, that was a gnarly wave!
Often appears as...
- gnarly wave
- gnarly ride
Usage tips
Informal, Approving
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Cultural Context
Often used in extreme sports or tech industries to describe challenging scenarios.
Navigating that steep trail was so gnarly.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Usage
Not usually used in formal settings. Stick to casual conversations.
I can't come out tonight, got some gnarly homework.
Pro Tip 3/3Negative Connotation
Implies a sense of dread or frustration when facing a problem.
The traffic on the way home was absolutely gnarly.
Pro Tip 1/3Cultural Context
Often used in extreme sports or tech industries to describe challenging scenarios.
Navigating that steep trail was so gnarly.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Usage
Not usually used in formal settings. Stick to casual conversations.
I can't come out tonight, got some gnarly homework.
Pro Tip 3/3Negative Connotation
Implies a sense of dread or frustration when facing a problem.
The traffic on the way home was absolutely gnarly.
Pro Tip 1/3Cultural Context
Often used in extreme sports or tech industries to describe challenging scenarios.
Navigating that steep trail was so gnarly.
Pro Tip 2/3Informal Usage
Not usually used in formal settings. Stick to casual conversations.
I can't come out tonight, got some gnarly homework.
Pro Tip 3/3Negative Connotation
Implies a sense of dread or frustration when facing a problem.
The traffic on the way home was absolutely gnarly.
Never forget "Gnarly"
Humans forget easily. That's why you should download WordUp: Smart reminders, word games, AI practice, and much more!
Video examples
Making the impossible...
the carpenter who had cut his fingers off and actually generously come out to help us and he said me I don't think you should go i first of all you don't know what you're getting yourself into sedan is gnarly and you are gonna be a big tall bald shining target walking
Video examples
A Visit to the Leather...
with that yeah just take a little slice off here see what that looks like before Carl will make any deal he needs to inspect the merchandise yeah that'll be nice or burl isn't is an unusual growth on a tree so they're growing with gnarly beautiful grains and once you
Video examples
Lessons from death row...
And he was learning how, when you have a big old gnarly problem, sometimes the solution is to slice it into smaller problems. That's what we do for most problems -- in math, in physics, even in social policy -- we slice them into smaller, more manageable problems.
Video examples
Jack Horner: Shape-shifti...
Dragon. So here's a dinosaur that has spikes sticking out of its head, no dome and gnarly stuff on its nose. Nobody noticed the gnarly stuff sort of looked alike. But they did look at these three and they said, "These are three different dinosaurs,
Video examples
Why War Zones Need...
socotra's dry rocky landscape and from it grows something that looks like a gnarly pine tree and a mushroom had a baby it has a twisted brown trunk standing about as tall as a person and at the top of this trunk intertwined branches grow up and out
Video examples
These bacteria eat...
The bacteria in my research are not genetically modified frankenbugs. These are naturally occurring bacteria that have simply adapted to their plastic-polluted environment and evolved the incredibly gnarly ability to eat PET plastic.
Video examples
Shape-shifting dinosaurs...
no dome and gnarly stuff on its nose nobody noticed that gnarly stuff sort of looked alike but but they did look at these three and they said these are three different dinosaurs and Draco Rex is probably the most primitive of them
Video examples
360° Climbing Giants PIPE...
get to the top sometimes it's hard to believe it like what I'm still going where is the top of this thing just seems like they're never-ending you get into the branches and limbs and you get to see how really big and gnarly and
Video examples
Wet and Wild PIPE Ultimate...
could just go like sideline of the waterfall I mean this looks gnarly to me kasha as one of the world's elite ski Mountaineers with numerous first descents kasha plots a daring path with
Video examples
Embracing otherness,...
one that I controlled, that I steered, that I gave life to. But the shooting day would end, and I'd return to my gnarly, awkward self.
Video examples
Making the impossible...
the carpenter who had cut his fingers off and actually generously come out to help us and he said me I don't think you should go i first of all you don't know what you're getting yourself into sedan is gnarly and you are gonna be a big tall bald shining target walking
Video examples
A Visit to the Leather...
with that yeah just take a little slice off here see what that looks like before Carl will make any deal he needs to inspect the merchandise yeah that'll be nice or burl isn't is an unusual growth on a tree so they're growing with gnarly beautiful grains and once you
Video examples
Lessons from death row...
And he was learning how, when you have a big old gnarly problem, sometimes the solution is to slice it into smaller problems. That's what we do for most problems -- in math, in physics, even in social policy -- we slice them into smaller, more manageable problems.
Video examples
Jack Horner: Shape-shifti...
Dragon. So here's a dinosaur that has spikes sticking out of its head, no dome and gnarly stuff on its nose. Nobody noticed the gnarly stuff sort of looked alike. But they did look at these three and they said, "These are three different dinosaurs,
Video examples
Why War Zones Need...
socotra's dry rocky landscape and from it grows something that looks like a gnarly pine tree and a mushroom had a baby it has a twisted brown trunk standing about as tall as a person and at the top of this trunk intertwined branches grow up and out
Video examples
These bacteria eat...
The bacteria in my research are not genetically modified frankenbugs. These are naturally occurring bacteria that have simply adapted to their plastic-polluted environment and evolved the incredibly gnarly ability to eat PET plastic.
Video examples
Shape-shifting dinosaurs...
no dome and gnarly stuff on its nose nobody noticed that gnarly stuff sort of looked alike but but they did look at these three and they said these are three different dinosaurs and Draco Rex is probably the most primitive of them
Video examples
360° Climbing Giants PIPE...
get to the top sometimes it's hard to believe it like what I'm still going where is the top of this thing just seems like they're never-ending you get into the branches and limbs and you get to see how really big and gnarly and
Video examples
Wet and Wild PIPE Ultimate...
could just go like sideline of the waterfall I mean this looks gnarly to me kasha as one of the world's elite ski Mountaineers with numerous first descents kasha plots a daring path with
Video examples
Embracing otherness,...
one that I controlled, that I steered, that I gave life to. But the shooting day would end, and I'd return to my gnarly, awkward self.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Nyjah Huston
American Athlete
I grew up very strict vegan. My dad didn't allow me or any of my siblings to eat any meat, no cheese, no candy even. He was super strict about that sort of stuff. I think that's one of the reasons I manage to be so healthy and take all these gnarly slams without breaking any bones: I think the main thing is being raised without drinking any soda.
Quote examples
Wesley Morris
American Critic
Savage' is a trait that might get you into business school or retweeted 10,000 times. It's what a kid might say after somebody does something awesome or gnarly or fierce: 'Oh, that's savage!' It's the skate park. It's the high-school cafeteria. It's the YouTube comments section.
Quote examples
Brooke Burke
American Model
I like feet. I definitely have a fetish. I love to see a man's bare foot, but its got to be taken care of. If they're not well manicured, you've got to wonder what the rest of him is like. I don't want to get in bed with somebody and feel his gnarly feet.
Quote examples
Dylan Moran
Irish Comedian
I draw hundreds and hundreds of pictures of sort of gnarly looking men, so I don't know what that tells you. People who look like... they're waiting for a sandwich that's never going to come. I don't know what's wrong with me.
Quote examples
Dolores O'Riordan
Irish Musician
You get older and come to the conclusion that it's a great gig making music. Even if you turn into an old gnarly fart, no one cares what you look like if you write good songs - the only gig is to sing well and perform.
Quote examples
Charlie Sheen
American Actor
What they're not ready for is guys like you and I and Nails and all the other gnarly gnarlingtons in my life, that we are high priests, Vatican assassin warlocks. Boom. Print that, people. See where that goes.
Quote examples
Paolo Bacigalupi
American Writer
Originally, 'The Windup Girl' started as a short story - a very gnarly, complicated short story set in Bangkok that didn't work very well.
Quote examples
Rudy Rucker
American Scientist
All living things are gnarly, in that they inevitably do things that are much more complex than one might have expected.
Quote examples
CM Punk
American Athlete
I'm going to be that gnarly guy that gets in somebody's face and makes it ugly. I'm a bit of a grinder.
Quote examples
Jacob Collier
English Musician
I think that the journey of self to truth is always kind of a gnarly one.
Quote examples
Nyjah Huston
American Athlete
I grew up very strict vegan. My dad didn't allow me or any of my siblings to eat any meat, no cheese, no candy even. He was super strict about that sort of stuff. I think that's one of the reasons I manage to be so healthy and take all these gnarly slams without breaking any bones: I think the main thing is being raised without drinking any soda.
Quote examples
Wesley Morris
American Critic
Savage' is a trait that might get you into business school or retweeted 10,000 times. It's what a kid might say after somebody does something awesome or gnarly or fierce: 'Oh, that's savage!' It's the skate park. It's the high-school cafeteria. It's the YouTube comments section.
Quote examples
Brooke Burke
American Model
I like feet. I definitely have a fetish. I love to see a man's bare foot, but its got to be taken care of. If they're not well manicured, you've got to wonder what the rest of him is like. I don't want to get in bed with somebody and feel his gnarly feet.
Quote examples
Dylan Moran
Irish Comedian
I draw hundreds and hundreds of pictures of sort of gnarly looking men, so I don't know what that tells you. People who look like... they're waiting for a sandwich that's never going to come. I don't know what's wrong with me.
Quote examples
Dolores O'Riordan
Irish Musician
You get older and come to the conclusion that it's a great gig making music. Even if you turn into an old gnarly fart, no one cares what you look like if you write good songs - the only gig is to sing well and perform.
Quote examples
Charlie Sheen
American Actor
What they're not ready for is guys like you and I and Nails and all the other gnarly gnarlingtons in my life, that we are high priests, Vatican assassin warlocks. Boom. Print that, people. See where that goes.
Quote examples
Paolo Bacigalupi
American Writer
Originally, 'The Windup Girl' started as a short story - a very gnarly, complicated short story set in Bangkok that didn't work very well.
Quote examples
Rudy Rucker
American Scientist
All living things are gnarly, in that they inevitably do things that are much more complex than one might have expected.
Quote examples
CM Punk
American Athlete
I'm going to be that gnarly guy that gets in somebody's face and makes it ugly. I'm a bit of a grinder.
Quote examples
Jacob Collier
English Musician
I think that the journey of self to truth is always kind of a gnarly one.
Example 1 of 10
WordUp Chrome Extension
As you browse the web instantly look up words you don’t know.
Get Chrome Extension