noun
growl
GROWL
noun
1
A low, rumbling, threatening sound, especially one made by an animal.
"The dog let out a growl as the stranger approached."
verb
1
To make this kind of low, threatening sound.
"The bear growled and backed away slowly."
"My stomach growled loudly during the meeting."
How to Use Growl
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA deep, rough, threatening sound, or the act of making one.
Common pairings
growl menacingly
a low growl
Word Forms
growled past tense, growls plural, growls singular
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Etymology
From Middle English words describing rumbling sounds in the bowels, ultimately of imitative origin — the sound itself likely shaped the word.