gnarled
Americanadjective
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having a rugged, weather-beaten appearance.
a gnarled old sea captain.
adjective
-
having gnarls
-
(esp of hands) rough, twisted, and weather-beaten in appearance
-
perverse or ill-tempered
Other Word Forms
- ungnarled adjective
Etymology
Origin of gnarled
First recorded in 1595–1605; variant of knurled
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.
Her cheeks sagged past her jaw and she was hunched over on a gnarled stick that shook under her hand.
From Literature
This saga’s gnarled roots stretch back to 2020, the year “Promising Young Woman” was released in theaters, and a year worthy of its own case study on its impact on cinema alone.
From Salon
I waved him off with a gnarled fist.
From Literature
It’s about two miles to my new home—a cottage with a thatched roof, surrounded by tall grass and gnarled apple trees.
From Literature
“Just a few hours,” I mumble, staring out the window at a gnarled oak tree that twists up to the sky.
From Literature
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.
