gnarly
Gnarly means extreme or intense and can be praise for something impressive or criticism for something difficult, dangerous, or gross.
By Cal Hewitt, Gen X · Researched from public sources ·
What it actually means
The word keeps its older image of something twisted or knotted. In surf slang it described large, dangerous waves, then broadened into a word for challenging, impressive, or unpleasant things. Tone and context decide whether a gnarly situation is good, bad, or simply intense.
See the quick definition in the gnarly dictionary entry.
Where it came from
Gnarly derives from gnarl, itself a back formation from gnarled, for something knotted or twisted. Dictionary.com traces the slang use to 1970s surfers describing dangerous waves. Vocabulary.com likewise identifies North American surfers as adopting it in the 1970s before the word later gained an awesome sense.
No single person is credited, the origin is commonly reported.
Where it's popular
The slang sense is tied to North American surf culture and spread into wider youth and action-sports language.
The later general sense is widely understood, but its surf association remains part of the word’s flavor.
How it caught on
- 1595-1605Dictionary.com dates gnarled, the source of the later back formation gnarl.
- 1820-1830Dictionary.com gives this period for the first record of gnarly as an adjective.
- 1970sSurfers used gnarly for dangerous waves.
- 1980sThe slang spread among teenagers with both excellent and disgusting senses.
- 1982SurferToday identifies Fast Times at Ridgemont High as part of the era that helped make surf speech nationally recognizable.
How to use it
“That trail is gnarly after the rain.”
It is difficult or hazardous.
“She landed a gnarly trick.”
It is impressively extreme.
“The leftovers in that container are gnarly.”
They are gross or unpleasant.
Common mix-ups
Gnarly is not always praise. It can mean dangerous, difficult, twisted, or disgusting.
Do you actually know it?
How gnarly is your word sense?
0/31. Where did the slang sense of gnarly develop?
2. Which sentence uses gnarly negatively?
3. What older image sits behind gnarly?
Related slang
Questions people ask
What does gnarly mean in slang?
It means extreme or intense, with the surrounding context determining whether that is impressive or unpleasant.
Did gnarly come from surfing?
The slang sense is traced to 1970s surfers describing dangerous waves, while the older word referred to something knotted or twisted.
Can gnarly mean gross?
Yes. Dictionary.com records a colloquial sense meaning distasteful, distressing, offensive, or gross.
Who coined gnarly?
No individual coiner is reliably documented.
Gnarly can praise a difficult ski run and criticize spoiled food because both uses preserve the idea of something intensely extreme.
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