growl

1 of 2

verb

growled; growling; growls

intransitive verb

1
a
: rumble
his stomach growled
b
: to utter a growl
the dog growled at the stranger
2
: to complain angrily

transitive verb

: to utter with a growl : utter angrily

growl

2 of 2

noun

: a deep guttural inarticulate sound

Examples of growl in a Sentence

Verb I could hear a dog growling behind me. My stomach's been growling all morning. “What do you want?” he growled. He's always growling about the government. Noun The dog gave a menacing growl. He answered my question with a growl. We could hear a growl of thunder in the distance.
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.
Verb
That last one, which stalks and growls realistically thanks to a trio of stunningly talented puppeteers, acts as both antagonist and doppelgänger to Pi. John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025 There’s plenty such wordplay in The Safe House, to the point that the movie can seem like a caricature of overeducated, perpetually growling Parisians shouting for social change, but too self-centered and comfortable in their bourgeois lifestyles to do anything drastic about it. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2025 Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination. Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for growl

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English groulen, grollen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1715, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of growl was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Growl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/growl. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

growl

verb
ˈgrau̇(ə)l
1
b
: to utter a deep threatening sound
the dog growled
2
growl noun
growler
ˈgrau̇-lər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on growl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!