Snarl

/snɑːrl/

Meaning & Definition

noun

a vicious or threatening sound made by a dog.

The snarls from the dog echoed in the night.

a tangled or complicated situation.

The traffic snarled into a massive jam during rush hour.

verb

to make a vicious, threatening sound, typically made by a dog.

The dog began to snarl at the stranger approaching its territory.

to speak in an angry, vicious manner.

He snarled his response, clearly agitated by the question.

to become tangled or entangled.

The cables are snarled together, making it difficult to unplug anything.

Middle English 'snerlen'; probably imitative of the sound.

snarl at someone

To speak in a fierce or aggressive manner towards someone.

traffic snarl

A situation where traffic is congested and moving slowly.

snarl one’s teeth

To bare one's teeth in a threatening or aggressive manner.

growl

A low, guttural sound made by animals, often indicating anger.

fret

To be constantly or visibly worried or anxious.

snide

Derogatory or mocking in an indirect way.

To criticize harshly.

He just snarled at my idea during the meeting.

To complain or grumble.

Stop snarling about the workload and get it done.