gravelly

[grav-uh-lee]

adjective

1. of, like, or abounding in gravel.

2. harsh and grating.

   a gravelly voice.

gravelly

/ ˈɡrævəlɪ /

adjective

1. consisting of or abounding in gravel

2. of or like gravel

3. (esp of a voice) harsh and grating

Other Word Forms

• ungravelly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gravelly¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, gravelly is from the Middle English word gravelli. See gravel, -y ¹

Example Sentences

There was already a voice keeping her company as she walked, and a gravelly, enigmatic voice it was.

Read more on Literature

Mr. Curry’s voice is now flattened and gravelly, and I found it a strain to listen until I sped up his delivery, as you can do with audiobooks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She dropped into her gravelly Cookie Monster growl for the answer: “Brown food tastes good.”

Read more on Salon

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.

Read more on BBC

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.”

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• discordant 
• gruff 
• harsh 
• raucous 
• throaty