gnarly
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
Excellent; attractive.
Register: dated, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
a gnarly dude
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Dangerous; difficult.
Register: dated, slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
Meaning · English
Unpleasant, awful, ugly.
Register: slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “gnarly” mean?
Excellent; attractive.
Is “gnarly” formal or informal?
gnarly is generally dated, slang.