GNARLY

gnarled, gnarly, knotted, knotty, knobbed

(adjective) used of old persons or old trees; covered with knobs or knots; “gnarled and knotted hands”; “a knobbed stick”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

gnarly (comparative gnarlier, superlative gnarliest)

Having or characterized by gnarls; gnarled.

(slang) Excellent; attractive.

(slang, US) Dangerous; difficult.

(slang, US) Unpleasant, awful, ugly.

(slang, US) Of music or a sound: harsh.

Usage notes

Note the word’s contradictory senses of “good” and “bad”. Its meaning varies by community and context, and may be indicated by extra-verbal cues such as tone of voice. The sense of “good” is particularly associated with surf culture, to the point of being somewhat clichéd as in “gnarly wave, dude!”.