snarl
13
4.9
- noun
- /snɑrl/
- "Indios," he said with a snarl and a look of disgust on his face.
- an angry snarl
- said with a snarl
- snarl in her voice
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Watch on YouTubeWe might say the snarl on a dog's mouth even.
- We might say the snarl on a dog's mouth even.
- The meaning of the proverb is that when someone is making lots of noise and threats and snarls that it rarely escalates to harm.
Examples
-
I was rudely awakened one night by fierce growls and snarls intermingled with piercing, almost human, screams.
Academic text (1994) -
Always had this snarl on his face.
-
Spats jumped toward the bars, a savage snarl issuing from his lips.
Fiction book (1998) -
Prieto's lips curled back over his teeth; his grin became the snarl of a wild thing cornered.
Fiction book (1991) -
The dog let out a low snarl when it saw the stranger approaching its territory.
-
With a fierce snarl and bared teeth, the wolf warned the intruder to stay away.
-
The boxer wore a menacing snarl on his face as he prepared for the match.
Synonyms
48
3.4
A low angry sound animals make to warn people
22
2.6
A long sharp s sound made by animals, objects, or people to show disapproval
7
5.5
A look on the face that shows you do not respect someone
Antonyms
Compounds
How Threatening
Surface Forms
Etymology
Snarl probably comes from an old imitation of a low, harsh animal noise, like a 'growl'. So a snarl is an angry or threatening sound or look that warns others.