gnarly
nar-leeadjective
SlangDifficulty 1 of 3: Widely known
Definition
Intense or extreme — either impressively good or genuinely nasty, depending on tone.
In simple English: Extreme; can mean very good or very bad.
Examples
That wave was gnarly.
He took a gnarly fall off his board.
Usage notes
Surf slang. The meaning flips entirely on tone and context, so listen before using it.
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At a glance
- Track
- Slang
- Region
- Statewide
- Part of speech
- adjective