Grrr is an onomatopoeic word which imitates the sound of predatory animals, and is often used with other, related meanings. It is one of the rare pronounceable words of the English language that consist solely of consonants. Its most simple use is by children imitating animals, "Mommy, look at the lion, Grrr!".1 Anger
Grrr is commonly used to express anger or annoyance in writing. It can be used in sentences such as:
- "Grrr — you stole my alpaca!"
- "Is that my pen you're using? Grrr!"
- "I am doing my scary glare. Grrr. I am scaring you. Grrr. Look at my scary glaring." (This is a sarcastic usage, and would be said in a flat, monotonic voice)
Grrr is also a common sound made by monsters in fiction.
2 Sexual arousal
Grrr can be said suggestively, to indicate sexual arousal. It is often done with a raised eyebrow and a hand movement, in imitation of a tiger, and signifies an animalistic or base lust. It might be used in contexts such as:
- "It's dirty and you want it. GRRR."
- "Oooooh. Mr Baby- I mean Bailey!! Grrr."
A stereotypical response to this type of grrr is "easy tiger!".
3 "Grrrrrr pffffff" in Dutch
In Dutch language comic strips, "Grrrrrr pfffffff" is used to signify snoring, much as "Zzzzzzz" is in English strips. The "G" is aspirated much like the English "H" and the "r" is guttural and rolled. "Grrrrr pffffff," as pronounced in Dutch, is, in fact, a very accurate phonetic rendition of the sound of a snore.
onomatopoeia
