snarl

English

A sphynx snarls at a dog.

Etymology

From Middle English snarlen, frequentative of snar (“to snarl”), equivalent to snar +‎ -le.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑː(r)l

Noun

snarl (plural snarls)

1. A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle.

   Synonym: entanglement

2. An intricate complication; a problematic difficulty.
3. The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
4. A growl, for example that of an angry or surly dog, or similar; grumbling sounds.
5. A squabble.
6. A slow-moving traffic jam.

Synonyms

• (entangled situation): imbroglio

Translations

knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle

• Dutch: knoop (nl) m, knot (nl) m, f
• Finnish: vyyhti (fi), sekasotku (fi)
• French: embrouille (fr) f, sac de nœuds (fr) m (familiar)
• German: wirres Knäuel n

• Polish: węzeł (pl) m
• Russian: у́зел (ru) m (úzel), клубо́к (ru) m (klubók)
• Spanish: enredo (es) m, maraña (es) f,

act of snarling

• Finnish: ärinä, murina (fi)
• German: Fletschen n
• Italian: ringhio (it) m
• Polish: warczenie (pl) n, warknięcie (pl) n

• Russian: ворча́ние (ru) n (vorčánije), рыча́ние (ru) n (ryčánije)
• Scottish Gaelic: dranndan m
• Spanish: gruñido (es) m
• Turkish: homurdanma, homurtu (tr)

Verb

snarl (third-person singular simple present snarls, present participle snarling, simple past and past participle snarled)

1. (transitive) To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots.

   to snarl a skein of thread

   • Edmund Spenser

     And from her back her garments she did tear, / And from her head oft rent her snarled hair […]

2. (intransitive) To become entangled.
3. (transitive) To place in an embarrassing situation; to ensnare.
   • Latimer

     [the] question that they would have snarled him with

4. (intransitive) To growl, like an angry or surly dog; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds.
5. (transitive, intransitive) To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms.
   • Dryden

     It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from which Virgil himself stands not exempted.

6. To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface.

Antonyms

• unsnarl

Translations

To form raised work upon the outer surface of

To entangle

• Dutch: verstrikken (nl), strikken (nl)
• Finnish: sotkea (fi)

• Polish: zaplątywać się
• Spanish: enredar (es)

To embarrass

• Greek: φερνω κπ σε δυσκολη θεση (ferno kp se dyskoli thesi)

To growl

• Dutch: grommen (nl), brommen (nl)
• Finnish: äristä (fi), murista (fi)
• French: grogner (fr)
• German: knurren (de)
• Italian: ringhiare (it)
• Latin: ganniō

• Maori: ngara, ngangara
• Polish: warczeć (pl)
• Russian: рыча́ть (ru) (ryčátʹ), огрыза́ться (ru) (ogryzátʹsja), ворча́ть (ru) (vorčátʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: dèan dranndan
• Spanish: gruñir (es)

To speak crossly

• Dutch: snauwen (nl)
• Finnish: ärähtää (fi)
• Polish: odwarkiwać, odburkiwać

• Russian: ворча́ть (ru) (vorčátʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: dèan dranndan

Derived terms

• ensnarl
• snarl word

Further reading

• snarl in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• snarl in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• snarl at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• larns

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Icelandic

Etymology

Back-formation from snarla.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s(t)nartl/
• Rhymes: -artl

Noun

snarl n (genitive singular snarls, no plural)

1. snack (light meal)

Declension

declension of snarl

n-s	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	snarl	snarlið
accusative	snarl	snarlið
dative	snarli	snarlinu
genitive	snarls	snarlsins

See also

• snakk