growl
verb
\
Definition of growl
(Entry 1 of 2)
growl
nounDefinition of growl (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for growl
Synonyms: Verb
beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, keen, kick, kvetch, maunder [chiefly British], moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, whinge [British], yammer, yawp (or yaup), yowl
Antonyms: Verb
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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: Verb
Shirley-Girl ignores her mostly, but has growled and played many times. — cleveland.com, "Feather finds a home a long way from Texas: Send us your pet rescue stories," 22 Aug. 2019 The grizzly did not stop, but instead ran over both of them, swatting and growling while continuing on his way. — John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, "When sharing the backcountry with bears, choose a shotgun as your companion," 20 Aug. 2019 The Chicago band Harm’s Way play hardcore/metal that growls and bashes, toggling between blasts of rapid sixteenth-note riffs and split-second yawning caverns in the music. — John Adamian, courant.com, "Harm’s Way - death metal, industrial and scrambled beats - playing Webster Underground," 11 Aug. 2019 Walking around her Brighton neighborhood, with Brisket lunging and growling and biting, Pratt, 27, felt ashamed, overwhelmed. — Beth Teitell, BostonGlobe.com, "‘I am my dog’s emotional support animal’: Some pet parents are overwhelmed by their pooches," 15 July 2019 The graceful lions bask in their languorous power, lolling and growling and setting up the parameters of the story. — New York Times, "‘The Lion King’ Review: The Art of Herding Digital Cats," 11 July 2019 Dio had a uniquely powerful, high voice, growling and pretty, a perfect fit to lead the onslaught of Judas Priests, Iron Maidens and Rushes who would come to dominate popular hard rock and metal throughout the '70s. — Steve Knopper, chicagotribune.com, "'We're not trying to raise the dead,' says Dio drummer Simon Wright of the Ronnie James Dio hologram show hitting town," 13 June 2019 Bagel has fallen asleep — eyes wide open — several times over the three hours, but has not growled orders to cease operations. — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, "Meet Sunglass Cat, an Instagram star with an eye-opening message of acceptance," 11 June 2019 Johnson possesses a kind of radioactively powerful charm, and Statham’s sinister Cockney growl never fails. — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, "‘Fast and the Furious’ spinoff isn’t so much a spinout but a too-long joyride," 1 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The filigreed serenades of the wind section were in the foreground throughout—the growl of the contrabassoon was delightfully prominent—and the tympani rolled with a primal thunder. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "A Revelatory Performance by the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra," 31 July 2019 To keep the flame alive, here's what GM needs to do with the 2020 Corvette Stingray: Emphasize speed A 'Vette isn't a 'Vette without some serious zip, so expect the engine growl on the C8 to wake up your neighbors. — Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY, "Here's how the new Corvette Stingray could morph into a 'fire-breathing monster'," 18 July 2019 Cotes’s voice sliced through the tumble of crashing drums and drilling bass, dropping to forceful growls and leaping to powerful shrieks with precision. — Teta Alim, Washington Post, "D.C.’s Priests put on an explosive set with new album at 9:30 Club," 16 June 2019 The 200 exhibits a noticeable loud growl under hard acceleration; the 250h hybrid is quieter and feels stronger, tighter, and more planted overall. — Frank A. Aukofer, Houston Chronicle, "2019 LEXUS UX 250h: Luxury hybrid comes with all-wheel drive," 14 July 2019 The low growl of sugar cane being crushed into liquid can be heard at Havana Juice. — Priya Krishna, New York Times, "A Global Feast in an Unlikely Spot: Lancaster, Pa.," 23 July 2019 Sailing across the heavy-metal spectrum, Luhrs tacked too close to the trebly screech of Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha and not close enough to the Luciferian growl of High on Fire’s Matt Pike. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Summerfest 2019: Chicago, Third Eye Blind and more of the best and worst from the side stages on Day 4," 29 June 2019 The song opens with a sinister synth growl, and Lynch, face covered, dances around the room, occasionally rapping along with his teammates. — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "The Profound Silence of Marshawn Lynch," 14 June 2019 The sea lions lounge and sleep, knock against one another, growl and pose, loll and nip, and slide noiselessly back under the waves. — Sallie Tisdale, Harper's magazine, "Catechism of the Waters," 10 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'growl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for growl
growl
verb
English Language Learners Definition of growl
(Entry 1 of 2)