adjective Pop Culture

Gnarly

/ˈnɑːrli/ · adjective · slang

Either super impressive or seriously nasty — same word, opposite vibes, all about intensity.

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Definitions

1

Disgusting, dangerous, or grim. The negative flip — when something is intense in a bad way.

“I wiped out and the cut on my knee was straight-up gnarly.”
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2

Awesome, intense, or radical in a good way. Surfer-born praise for something extreme and impressive.

“That ollie off the stairs was gnarly, dude.”
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3

Used loosely as a general intensifier for anything heavy, wild, or hard to deal with.

“Traffic was gnarly, took me two hours to get home.”
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Gnarly In A Sentence

Bro the waves were gnarly this morning, double overhead.
That horror movie had some gnarly special effects for 1985.
We hit a gnarly pothole and blew a tire.

Origin & Usage

Surfer slang from 1970s California describing dangerously big, twisted waves (literally 'gnarled'). It exploded into mainstream 80s teen talk through skate and surf culture and movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Variants gnargnarlsgnarlatious
Tags #80s#american#surf#pop

People Also Ask

What does gnarly mean in slang?

It means extreme or intense — either really awesome or really gross, depending on tone. The context tells you which way it's leaning.

Is gnarly a positive or negative word?

Both. Surfers and skaters use it as high praise, but it can also describe something disgusting or dangerous.

Is gnarly still used today?

Yes, mostly ironically or in skate, surf, and snowboard circles where it never really left.

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