snarly

¹

[ snahr-lee ]

adjective

, snarl·i·er, snarl·i·est.

1. apt to snarl; easily irritated.

snarly

²

[ snahr-lee ]

adjective

, snarl·i·er, snarl·i·est.

1. full of knotty snarls; snarl; tangled.

Word History and Origins

Origin of snarly¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; snarl ¹ + -y ¹

Origin of snarly²

First recorded in 1640–50; snarl ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

A chuckle dripped out of Sigurd’s snarly mouth.

From Literature

She was a bit snarly at first, he added.

From Washington Post

It was a relief to see a friendly face after so many snarly ones.

From Literature

“Drivers are generally snarly because they are tired, they’re hungry, and their schedules suck, and they tend to take it out on other people.”

From New York Times

He could be so snarly, though, that Senator William B. Saxbe, Republican of Ohio, memorably derided him as Nixon’s “hatchet man” and said he was so disagreeable, “he couldn’t sell beer on a troop ship.”

From New York Times