snarlier; snarliest
: characterized by angry or irritable snarling or surliness
The dog was black and snarlyLaurence Sheehan
Despite his nickname, Hasek is a reticent man, earnest, sometimes snarly with the media.E. J. Hradek
Whoever would have expected to look fondly back upon Walter Winchell's snarly narration …Ralph Novak
The mere idea of taking this step and meeting their in-laws sends both of them into such paroxysms of anxiety they become instant boors, snarly and insufferable.People Weekly
… he heard the dry, angry, snarly, singsong whine of a tiger who has caught nothing and does not care if all the jungle knows it.Rudyard Kipling

snarly

2 of 2

adjective (2)

snarlier; snarliest
: snarled or tending to become snarled or tangled
If the twist is increased still further the yarn becomes: Snarly and crinkly, and will shrink and snarl more when held in water.Marjorie A. Taylor

Examples of snarly in a Sentence

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.
Adjective
This even gives the machine the option of trying to evade snarly questions by pretending to be a foreigner, with a limited grasp of local culture and vocabulary. IEEE Spectrum, 30 June 2015 The Harsh Glare of Justice Susan B. Glasser on the ex-President’s snarly mug shot from Fulton County Jail. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2023 The band has been marred with decades of fluctuating lineups and snarly lawsuits among band members. Rasha Ali, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2022 And then the Colonel becomes billionaire Gustav Graves, played by Stephens with a snarly grin and a solar ray. Darren Franich, EW.com, 23 Nov. 2022 With a snarly demeanor and vast domed foreheads, they were fashioned from stone and came in pairs — male and female, representing yin and yang — and were also placed at the entrances of temples (and homes) for protection. New York Times, 19 Aug. 2021 Then, in addition, scatter 100 bistro sets around the plaza for the season, and perhaps bring in an extra espresso-and-pastries cart or three, and maybe a cocktail bar if the red tape isn’t too snarly. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1748, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

1638, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of snarly was in 1638

Dictionary Entries Near snarly

Cite this Entry

“Snarly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snarly. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on snarly

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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