Gnarly

Etymology
.

In slang senses, particularly popularized by US surf culture in the 1970s.

Adjective

 * 1) having or characterized by gnarls; gnarled
 * On the right of the station were two gnarly cottonwood trees... &mdash; Mark Goodwin, Last Words
 * 1)  dangerous
 * 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. &mdash; Surfer Magazine, March 1977
 * 1)  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. &mdash; D. Jenkins, Baja Oklahoma
 * 1)  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. &mdash; Glasgow Sunday Herald, 16 January 2000
 * 1)  Of music or a sound, harsh
 * "[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. &mdash; Los Angeles Times, 12 October 1986

Synonyms

 * (gnarled): gnarled, knobbly, knobby
 * (slang: dangerous):
 * (slang: unpleasant, awful): awful, dreadful, nasty
 * (slang: excellent, attractive): cool
 * (harsh (of music or sound)): discordant