gravelly
Americanadjective
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consisting of or abounding in gravel
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of or like gravel
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(esp of a voice) harsh and grating
Other Word Forms
- ungravelly adjective
Etymology
Origin of gravelly
First recorded in 1350–1400, gravelly is from the Middle English word gravelli. See gravel, -y 1
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.
Instead, in his gravelly voice, Greenspan said, “This is the first time in history that a reporter has ever apologized to the Federal Reserve.”
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
As distinctive as Armstrong’s rich and gravelly voice was—on such classics as “What a Wonderful World” and “Hello, Dolly!”—it was how broke from a song’s meter that became another influential hallmark of his style.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026
On ballads like Tonight's the Night and First Cut is the Deepest, he found new ways around the melodies, accommodating the cracks and crevices that have appeared in his famously gravelly voice.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2025
In one clip, he uses it to deliver a gravelly, reverent takedown of Chuck E. Cheese: “A casino for the juice box crowd, where the ATM is your dad and the mouse always wins.”
From Salon • Jun. 20, 2025
Her British accent, one of the few things he clearly remembers about her, is gone; she sounds as American as he does, with the low, gravelly voice that had surprised him on the phone.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
