growl

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“
If he'd had the voice for it, it would have been a growl, but the closest he could come to a growl was an Irish tenor rumble with undertones of gravel.

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Definitions (15)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (5)

  1. noun The low, guttural, menacing sound made by an animal: the growl of a dog.
  2. noun A gruff surly utterance: The desk officer answered my greeting with a growl.
  3. intransitive verb To emit a low guttural sound or utterance.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (5)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

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Examples

  • If he'd had the voice for it, it would have been a growl, but the closest he could come to a growl was an Irish tenor rumble with undertones of gravel. —  Unwise Child
  • "I don't understand it, and what I don't understand bothers me The Ring Tailed Panther growled, and his growl was the most savage that Ned had ever heard from him. —  The Texan Star The Story of a Great Fight for Liberty
  • The boy could not help shuddering as he looked at this old monarch of the forest It smells like a human being around here," said Father Bear the instant he came up to Mother Bear, and his growl was as the rolling of thunder How can you imagine anything so absurd?" —  The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
  • This time the growl was almost inaudible, but it was enough to break Abby’s concentration. —  Lisa Jackson - Shiver
  • "I asked her the very same question, and she told me his growl is a little stronger today. —  Garwood, Julie - Saving Grace
 

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Growl has been looked up 308 times, favorited 0 times, listed 21 times, and commented on 0 times.

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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

snarl ·  rumble ·  howl ·  groan ·  grunt ·  roar ·  chuckle ·  murmur ·  hiss ·  whine ·  bellow ·  cough
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English groule, grollen, to rumble, growl, probably from Old French grouler, of Germanic origin.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Formerly also groul, and dial. groil; from late Middle English growlen; cf. Middle Dutch grollen, make a noise, rumble, murmur, grunt, croak, etc., also be angry, Dutch grollen, grumble, = German grollen, rumble, also be angry, bear ill will (Middle High German grüllen, scorn, jeer); cf. Old French grouiller, rumble; perhaps orig. imitative; cf. Greek γρυλλίζειν, grunt. from γρύλλος, a pig, from γρῡ, a grunt. Cf. English dial. gruffle, growl.
  2. from growl, v.
 

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/graʊl/
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