Adjacent Words

Snarl definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SN'ARL, v.i. [This word seems to be allied to gnarl, and to proceed from some root signifyingto twist, bind, or fasten, or to involve, entangle, and thus to be allied to snare.]
1. To growl, as an angry or surly dog; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds; but it expresses more violence than grumble. That I should snarl and bit and play the dog.
2. To speak roughly; to talk in rude murmuring terms. It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from with Virgil himself stands not exempted.
SN'ARL, v.t.
1. To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots; as, to snarl the hair; to snarl a skain of thread. [This word is in universal popular use in New England.]
2. To embarrass.
SN'ARL, n. Entanglement; a knot or complication of hair, thread, etc., which it is difficult to disentangle.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a vicious angry growl
2: an angry vicious expression
3: something jumbled or confused; "a tangle of government regulations" [syn: tangle, snarl, maze] v
1: utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone; "The sales clerk snapped a reply at the angry customer"; "The guard snarled at us" [syn: snap, snarl]
2: make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise; "Bullets snarled past us"
3: twist together or entwine into a confusing mass; "The child entangled the cord" [syn: entangle, tangle, mat, snarl] [ant: disentangle, straighten out, unsnarl]
4: make more complicated or confused through entanglements [syn: snarl, snarl up, embrangle]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, to trap, entangle, probably frequentative of snaren to snare Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to cause to become knotted and intertwined ; tangle 2. to make excessively complicated intransitive verb to become snarled • snarler noun II. noun Etymology: Middle English snarle snare, noose, probably from snarlen, verb Date: 1609 1. a tangle especially of hairs or thread ; knot 2. a tangled situation <traffic snarls> • snarly adjective III. verb Etymology: frequentative of obsolete English snar to growl; akin to Middle Low German snorren to drone, rattle Date: 1589 intransitive verb 1. to growl with a snapping, gnashing, or display of teeth 2. to give vent to anger in surly language transitive verb to utter or express with a snarl or by snarling • snarler noun IV. noun Date: 1613 a surly angry growl • snarly adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v. 1 intr. (of a dog) make an angry growl with bared teeth. 2 intr. (of a person) speak cynically; make bad-tempered complaints or criticisms. 3 tr. (often foll. by out) a utter in a snarling tone. b express (discontent etc.) by snarling. --n. the act or sound of snarling. Derivatives: snarler n. snarlingly adv. snarly adj. (snarlier, snarliest). Etymology: earlier snar f. (M)LG, MHG snarren 2. v. & n. --v. 1 tr. (often foll. by up) twist; entangle; confuse and hamper the movement of (traffic etc.). 2 intr. (often foll. by up) become entangled, congested, or confused. 3 tr. adorn the exterior of (a narrow metal vessel) with raised work. --n. a knot or tangle. Phrases and idioms: snarling iron an implement used for snarling metal. snarl-up colloq. a traffic jam; a muddle; a mistake. Etymology: ME f. snare (n. & v.): sense 3 perh. f. noun in dial. sense 'knot in wood'

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snarl Snarl, n. A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle; entanglement; hence, intricate complication; embarrassing difficulty.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snarl Snarl, v. i. [From Snar.] 1. To growl, as an angry or surly dog; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds. ``An angry cur snarls while he feeds.'' --Dryden & Lee. 2. To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms. It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from which Virgil himself stands not exempted. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snarl Snarl, n. The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snarl Snarl, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snarled; p. pr. & vvb. n. Snarling.] [Etymol. uncertain.] To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snarl Snarl, v. t. [From Snare, v. t.] 1. To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots; as, to snarl a skein of thread. ``Her snarled hair.'' --Spenser. 2. To embarrass; to insnare. [The] question that they would have snarled him with. --Latimer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(snarls, snarling, snarled) 1. When an animal snarls, it makes a fierce, rough sound in its throat while showing its teeth. He raced ahead up into the bush, barking and snarling... The dogs snarled at the intruders. VERB: V, V at n • Snarl is also a noun. With a snarl, the second dog made a dive for his heel. N-COUNT 2. If you snarl something, you say it in a fierce, angry way. 'Let go of me,' he snarled... I vaguely remember snarling at someone who stepped on my foot... 'Aubrey.' Hyde seemed almost to snarl the name. VERB: V with quote, V at n, V n • Snarl is also a noun. His eyes flashed, and his lips were drawn back in a furious snarl. N-COUNT 3. A snarl is a disorganized mass of things. She was tangled in a snarl of logs and branches. N-COUNT: usu with supp

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. Growl, gnarl, grumble, murmur. II. v. a. 1. Entangle, complicate, knot, involve in knots. 2. Entangle, embarrass, confuse, ensnare. III. n. 1. Entanglement, tangle, complication. 2. Intricacy, complication, embarrassment, difficulty.

Moby Thesaurus

Chinese puzzle, Gordian knot, Rube Goldberg contraption, allure, altercation, argument, ataxia, bait the hook, ball up, bark, bawl, belch, bellow, bicker, birdlime, blare, blat, blood feud, blubber, boom, brawl, bray, breathe, broil, burden, burr, buzz, cackle, can of worms, catch, catch out, caw, chant, chaos, chirp, chirr, clang, clangor, clank, clash, clutter, color, complex, complexity, complicate, complication, confound, confuse, contention, controversy, coo, cramp, craunch, cripple, croak, crow, crump, crunch, cumber, decoy, difficulty, dilemma, disarray, disorder, dispute, donnybrook, donnybrook fair, drawl, embarrass, embrangle, embroilment, encumber, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entangle, entanglement, entoil, entrammel, entrap, entwine, enweb, exclaim, fetter, feud, fight, fix, fliting, flush, flute, foul up, fracas, frown, fuss, gasp, gin, glare, glower, gnarl, grimace, grind, groan, growl, grumble, grunt, hamper, hamstring, handicap, hiss, hobble, hook, hook in, howl, huddle, imbroglio, impede, implicate, intricacy, intricateness, inveigle, involve, jam, jangle, jar, jungle, keen, kink, knot, labyrinth, lame, lilt, lime, logomachy, look daggers, louse up, lower, lumber, lure, mantle, maze, meander, mesh, mess, mess up, mishmash, mix up, moan, morass, moue, mow, muck up, muddle, mumble, murmur, mutter, net, noose, open quarrel, pant, perplex, pickle, pipe, polemic, pout, predicament, press down, problem, quandary, quarrel, ramify, rasp, ravel, redden, rictus, roar, rumble, saddle with, scowl, scramble, scranch, scrape, scratch, scream, screech, screw up, scrunch, shackle, sharp words, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sing, skein, slanging match, snafu, snag, snake pit, snap, snare, snarl up, sniggle, snore, snort, sob, sough, spat, spit, spread the toils, squabble, squall, squawk, squeal, strife, swarm, tangle, tangled skein, thunder, tiff, tight spot, toil, topsy-turviness, trammel, trap, trip, trumpet, tussle, twang, twist, vendetta, wail, warble, web, webwork, weigh down, wheels within wheels, whine, whisper, whistle, wilderness, wind, words, wrangle, wry face, wry mouth, yap, yawp, yell, yelp