🐻 Low rough sound 😠 Irritated mood

growly

7.1

Showing irritation and wanting to be left alone

adjective
/ˈɡraʊli/

Informal

: malhumorado

The teacher had a growly expression after the students ignored his instructions.

Examples

"He was a slacker," Len said in a growly voice.

Fiction book (2001)
He always appears growly in the mornings before he has his coffee.
Even though she was feeling growly, she still joined us for dinner.

Synonyms

grouchy

vsgrowly

19 3.9

Easily annoyed and often in a bad mood

expresses similar irritation but often with lower, gruffer tone

sulky

vsgrowly

6 5.0

Quietly angry and not wanting to talk to others

expresses irritation and may be audible rather than only silent

frowny

vsgrowly

Informal

4 7.0

Having a mouth turned down and looking unhappy

is more about mood or low vocal signs than only a frown

snorty

vsgrowly

1 9.7

Feeling annoyed and in a bad mood

is more about low-tone sulkiness rather than brief sharp reactions

grumbly

vsgrowly

1 4.4

Feeling annoyed and often complaining about things

can be similar but sometimes only shows mood without sounds

scowling

vsgrowly

1 5.4

A person who looks angry and unfriendly because they frown

expresses displeasure more by tone or low sound than by face

fumy

vsgrowly

Archaic

9.3

Showing quiet anger and annoyance by being silent

leans more toward low vocal irritation than only resentful mood

huffish

vsgrowly

9.9

Being bad-tempered and easily offended

tends to show gruff or low-tone irritation rather than quick offence

gruntled

vsgrowly

Archaic

9.9

Feeling unhappy and bad-tempered

is more likely to show that mood with low audible signs

hissy

vsgrowly

7.7

Making a sharp 'sss' sound to show anger or fear

tends to be lower and gruffer in tone rather than hissing

Antonyms

friendly

773 1.0

Kind and helpful toward other people

cheerful

111 1.0

Happy in a way you show with a smile or friendly actions

How Irritable

surly

24 7.2

growly

Informal

7.1

irritable

32 3.7

sullen

26 4.7

Surface Forms

growly positive

growlier comparative

growliest superlative

Morphology

growly = growl (semi-transparent) = growl + y

The adjective is derived from 'growl' but the sense shifts from an actual sound to a disposition or mood (irritation or surliness), so the relation is metaphorical rather than strictly literal.

Etymology

Growly comes from the word growl, which copies the 'low, angry sound', plus the ending -y meaning 'full of'. So growly can describe a person who is in a grumpy or sulky mood, as if they might growl even without making a sound.