Gnarled

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Gnarled

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

narld  /nɑːld/

Definition

Knobbly, twisted, and rugged in form; (of a person) rough and weather-beaten, especially from age or hard work.

Plain meaning

Gnarled means twisted, knobbly, and rough — like the trunk of an ancient oak tree, or the hands of a person who has done hard physical work for decades.

Register

Literary and descriptive. Gnarled is a strongly visual word with a tactile quality — it almost makes the reader feel the texture it describes. Common in descriptions of landscapes, old trees, and weathered human bodies.