gnarled
Americanadjective
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having a rugged, weather-beaten appearance.
a gnarled old sea captain.
adjective
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having gnarls
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(esp of hands) rough, twisted, and weather-beaten in appearance
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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.
Firefighters used an excavator to remove broken glass and gnarled metal strewn across the site as policemen with pump-action rifles patrolled on motorbike to prevent looting.
From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026
That made it something of a shock to hear the gnarled aggression of Black Sabbath, Tool, Metallica and other blazing rock anthems close out episodes of Noah Hawley’s blockbuster TV adaptation.
From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025
Looking at a picture of young Keith, gaptoothed and geeky, beside old Keith, as gnarled as Yoda, is a lesson in the nature of time, in what the years can do.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
It’ll be a long time before the baby Joshua trees resemble the gnarled icons that dot the park.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025
His hands are gnarled, his fingers thick and crooked.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
