1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he was growling about how much work he had to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to roar
to make a long loud deep noise or cry
the neighbor's dog growls every time we pass the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of growl
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
Or Kraven seeing a Daily Bugle article about Spider-Man and perhaps growling.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 30 Nov. 2024
With his bluesy, rangy growl, Stapleton has a once-in-a-generation voice and Combs has been the only male vocalist who has been able to break his strangle-hold on the category, winning in 2019 and 2020.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for growl
Verb
He’s hauled out of bed to go hunting with his hard-ass, militaristic father Grady (Sam Jaeger), whose bellowing about trying to keep his son safe is almost as frightening as the growling beast that appears to be stalking them.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
Or Kraven seeing a Daily Bugle article about Spider-Man and perhaps growling.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
With quarterback Fernando Mendoza sidelined by an overnight illness, the Bears had no growl on offense at No. 9 SMU, trailing 21-0 at halftime on the way to a 38-6 defeat in their regular-season finale.
—Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 30 Nov. 2024
With his bluesy, rangy growl, Stapleton has a once-in-a-generation voice and Combs has been the only male vocalist who has been able to break his strangle-hold on the category, winning in 2019 and 2020.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for growl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for growl
Verb
-
For nothing is more European, at least in today’s Europe, than being bullied by Russia while complaining about the United States.—
Dominic Green,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Developers themselves have complained that their companies are not doing enough to weed out harassment online.—
Megan Farokhmanesh,
WIRED,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In the car, Stone jammed his backpack between his knees, and the two siblings inched down Palisades Drive, the brush along the shoulder a roaring blaze.—
Corina Knoll,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
-
Strong tornadoes possible Severe thunderstorms will roar to life south of where the heaviest rain falls Saturday.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Snow is blanketing parts of the Great Lakes while rain is falling to the south in parts of the Ohio Valley and thunderstorms are starting to rumble in the Mississippi Valley.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN,
15 Feb. 2025
-
New to their hometown in Season 3 is a guinea pig news station, a rumbling kitten sports stadium, and a whimsical magic shop.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
This improvement to sound also makes the restrained snarl of Naked Snake’s voice have an even better bite.—
Ashley Bardhan,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2025
-
In its wake, the storm, which pummeled a swath of the country from Kansas and Missouri to Virginia and New Jersey, has left tens of thousands in the U.S. without power, caused traffic snarls and forced closures of schools and businesses.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Preston Turano, a veterinarian and spokesperson at Felix Cat Insurance, told Newsweek that yelling, screaming, and physical punishment should never be used when training or communicating with your cat.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Moments after an emphatic two-handed jam in the closing seconds that sealed Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s 68-61 upset of Harvard-Westlake on Friday night in Studio City, Tyran Stokes clenched both fists, turned toward his teammates and screamed at the top of his lungs.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Rather than obediently following instructions, the Labrador made his displeasure known in an unmistakably human-like manner—growling, whining and huffing in defiance while facing his owners.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
-
In a slice of rich irony, OpenAI itself began to whine a couple of weeks ago when a Chinese rival, DeepSeek, garnered sudden attention.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Men writhe and moan in the shadows just out of sight as a young gay man walks through the dark room at Adonis, Copenhagen’s only gay sauna.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Shows that not all football teams need to be Champions League contenders and not all fans need to be moaning about the failings of their club.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
At the Starbucks in Chicago on Monday, a man entered the cafe and paced back and forth, muttering to himself.—
Bloomberg,
The Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2025
-
The van pulled into the street, and the crowd followed, muttering lamentations.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Growl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/growl. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share