Gnarly: From Rough Waves to High Praise
Summary: A word that could mean harsh and dangerous—or incredibly impressive.
In this post:
- What “gnarly” means and where it came from
- How people used it in the 1980s
- Modern equivalents and pop-culture examples
- Related slang to explore next
What does “gnarly” mean?
Surfers used “gnarly” for tough waves; teens broadened it to mean intense, sometimes excellent.
How it was used in the 1980s
“That ramp is gnarly,” or “Gnarly wipeout” depending on context.
Modern equivalents
• intense
• wild
• hard‑core