1
: full of knots or gnarls : knotty
gnarled hands
gnarled olive trees
2
: crabbed in disposition, aspect, or character
a gnarled old veteran

Examples of gnarled in a Sentence

the old man's gnarled fingers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The apple trees collect into gnarled, black cages on the hills. Literary Hub, 10 June 2025 Larry introduced us and Jimmie extended a gnarled hand. Ted Janes, Outdoor Life, 29 May 2025 Every moment is brimming with whimsical detail, from lacy-white magical threads that are conjured out of thin air, to a giant talking catfish who looks like he’s made out of a colorful patchwork quilt, and glowing azure glass bottles that adorn a gnarled tree, just begging to be plucked. Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025 But there was nothing much to see: only the bare wall and some gnarled shrubs. Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gnarled

Word History

Etymology

probably alteration of knurled

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gnarled was in 1603

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gnarled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gnarled. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

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