Growl

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ɡɹaʊl/

Definitions

1. A low, rumbling sound made by an animal, typically expressing anger or warning
2. A deep, guttural noise often produced by animals to convey aggression or a threat to others
3. This type of sound usually indicates displeasure or serves as a warning from a creature, often linked to its protective instincts

Etymology: The growl you hear from a dog began as a sound from the stomach. Middle English "groulen" and "grollen" were first used of the bowels, meaning to rumble, and only later came to describe an animal or a person making a low, threatening noise. The word's deeper roots lie in an imitative Proto-Germanic verb, "gruljanan", meaning simply to make a sound, which spread into Old English as "gryllan" and into the Germanic languages of the continent as well. Its relatives show how the sense drifted. German "grollen" can mean a distant thunderous rumble, or a grudge, and Middle Dutch "grollen" covered grumbling, croaking and being angry all at once. Old English "grillan" and "griellan" meant to provoke or offend, and to gnash the teeth, which suggests that a snarling rage and the sound of a rumbling belly were once felt as closely related.

Synonyms: snarl, grumble, rumble, roar, bark

Antonyms: whisper, speak, murmur, coo, calm