gruffly
Americanadverb
-
in a low, harsh, gravelly voice; hoarsely.
The album is nothing but monster hit after monster hit, all played energetically and sung gruffly by these aging rockers.
-
in a rough, brusque, or surly manner.
“Hey, now, cut that out!” he said gruffly, looking at us with a stern frown.
Etymology
Origin of gruffly
First recorded in 1680–90; gruff ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We’ll send out a press release later, Miss Kunene,” he said gruffly, then turned his back to her.
From Slate ● Dec. 24, 2022
“If I had my wall defaced like this, I would paint over it,” the man told Mr. Ovchinnikov gruffly.
From New York Times ● Dec. 14, 2022
A former shadow deputy governor during the war, he gruffly shares all his woes.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2022
He's friends with the boyfriend of one of his ex-wives, Angus Sampson as the gruffly charming investigator Cisco who roars around LA County on his motorcycle like a sensitive Meat Loaf.
From Salon ● May 21, 2022
“I was just waiting until the missus was done with the ladder,” he explained gruffly.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
