Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Making a growling sound: "snarling" describes a person or animal that is making a fierce, angry, or threatening growl, often with bared teeth.
   • Irritable or bad-tempered: Used figuratively to describe someone who is speaking or behaving in a harsh, angry, or quarrelsome manner.

2. Verb (present participle form of the verb "snarl"):

   • To growl with bared teeth: The action of making a fierce, guttural sound, typically by an animal (especially a dog or wolf) as a warning or threat.
   • To speak in an angry, hostile tone: The act of expressing anger or irritation through sharp, aggressive words.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The snarling dog frightened the children. (The dog was making a threatening growl.)
  • He gave a snarling reply to the question. (He responded in an angry, harsh manner.)

• Verb:

  • The wolf was snarling at the intruder. (The wolf was growling aggressively.)
  • "Get out of my way!" she snarled. (She spoke angrily and sharply.)

Advanced Usage

• "Snarling traffic": A metaphorical use describing congested, chaotic, and frustrating traffic conditions.

  • We were stuck in snarling traffic for two hours. (Traffic was slow, tangled, and stressful.)

• "Snarling look": A facial expression of anger or contempt.

  • She gave him a snarling look across the table. (She looked at him with fierce displeasure.)

Variants and Related Words

• Snarl (verb/noun): The base word meaning a fierce growl or a tangled mess (as in "traffic snarl").

  • The dog let out a deep snarl. (A threatening growl.)
  • Her hair was in a snarl. (A tangled, matted mess.)

• Snarly (adjective): Inclined to snarl; irritable or tangled.

  • The snarly old man complained about everything. (Irritable and prone to angry remarks.)

Synonyms

• Growling: making a low, guttural, threatening sound.
• Growling:
• Spitting: speaking angrily with sharp, short words.
  • He was spitting insults at the referee. (Speaking with venom and anger.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Snarl at: to direct a growl or angry remark toward someone.

  • The cat snarled at the dog. (The cat growled threateningly at the dog.)

• Snarl up: to become tangled or blocked (often used for traffic or hair).

  • The accident snarled up traffic for miles. (The accident caused a traffic jam.)

Related Idioms

• Snarl like a cornered animal: to react with extreme aggression when threatened.

  • When accused, he snarled like a cornered animal. (He responded with fierce, defensive anger.)

• Snarl one's words: to speak in a harsh, angry, and unclear manner.

  • He snarled his words so angrily that no one understood him. (He spoke with such fury that his speech was garbled.)