Meaning & use
growling
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“growling” is a form of “growl”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Making a deep, low, rough sound in the throat, as an angry animal does.
Grammar: No object when it describes a sound: the dog was growling. With speech, it takes the words spoken: he was growling orders.
Patterns
- growling at someone
- growling something
The dog was growling at the stranger by the gate.
Her stomach was growling during the long meeting.
He kept growling orders at the nervous waiter.
noununcountable
The deep, rough sound an animal or person makes when angry, or a similar low rumbling noise.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun: the growling grew louder.
The growling from under the porch made the children nervous.
We could hear distant growling as the storm approached.
Her growling stopped as soon as she saw the food.
adjectivebefore a noun
Making a deep, rough sound, or sounding low and angry.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: a growling voice.
A growling dog blocked the narrow alley.
The singer had a growling voice that fans loved.
A growling engine echoed down the street.
Word forms
| base form | growl |
|---|---|
| past tense | growled |
| third person singular | growls |
Common combinations
- growling dog
- A growling dog sat by the fence.
- growling at someone
- The bear was growling at the hikers.
- growling stomach
- His growling stomach gave him away in the quiet room.
- growling voice
- The old actor had a growling voice.
- growling noise
- We heard a growling noise from the engine.
Synonyms and how they differ
- snarling
- Snarling suggests a growl with bared teeth and more open aggression.
- rumbling
- Rumbling is a deeper, softer sound and does not need to sound angry.
- snapping
- Snapping describes sharp, sudden speech and is less about a low, rough noise.
- grumbling
- Grumbling is about complaining under your breath, not about a throat sound.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: growling or growling vs groaning? growling or growling vs grilling?
growling vs growling vs groaning
Groaning is a low sound of pain or complaint made in the mouth, while growling is a rough sound in the throat, often angry.
growling vs growling vs grilling
Grilling means cooking over heat or questioning someone hard.
Practice
The dog stood stiffly, ___ at the stranger.
Choose one answer.
Growling is the low, rough sound a dog makes when it feels threatened. Groaning is for people in pain and grinning means smiling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “growling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.