gnarly

adj

1. Having or characterized by gnarls; gnarled.

   “Out of one window I can see the garden, those mysterious deep-shaded arbors, the riotous old-fashioned flowers, and bushes and gnarly trees.”

2. (dated, slang)Excellent; attractive.

   “There ain't nothing gnarlier (apparently) than slapping on some brightly coloured sunblock to ward off the blinding spectre of dangerous, snow-reflected sunlight.”

3. (US, dated, slang)Dangerous; difficult.

   “a gnarly problem”

   “When the swell struck, the North Shore got gnarly, and the wise ones hit the outer islands where the energy was just as juicy but a bit more organized.”

   “Work that makes you unhappy is what I mean by "a gnarly problem." The trouble is, the market pays for solutions to gnarly problems, not solutions to easy problems. As the Yorkshire lads say, "Where there's muck, there's brass."”

4. (US, slang)Unpleasant, awful, ugly.

   “We're not talking about a lame chick and a gnarly guy. We're talking about a couple of far-out dudes.”

   “Funky Kong: 'Those Snowmads are a gnarly bunch! I hear they're enjoyin' your island. Go get 'em, DK!'”

5. (US, slang)Unpleasant, awful, ugly.

   “[She] displays the same love of gnarly fuzztones and shout-it-out-loud choruses that began back in her daze^([sic]) with local all-girl rockers the Runaways.”