gruff

[ gruhf ]

/ grʌf /

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adjective, gruff·er, gruff·est.

low and harsh; hoarse: a gruff voice.

rough, brusque, or surly: a gruff manner.

Nearby words

Origin of gruff

1525–35; < Middle Dutch grof coarse; cognate with German grob

SYNONYMS FOR gruff

2. curt.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gruff ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR gruff

2. courteous.

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Related formsgruff·ish, adjectivegruff·ly, adverbgruff·ness, nounun·gruff, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gruff

To the hordes who wanted time with Lincoln, the gruff and efficient Nicolay was the “grim enforcer.”
The Battle over President Lincoln’s Legacy|Tom LeClair|February 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bichir manages to be gruff but sensitive, honest yet mysterious, making Ruiz a mix of righteousness and compassion.
‘The Bridge’: FX’s New U.S.-Mexican Border Thriller|Jace Lacob|July 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He has played the gruff detective from 1987 to 2000 on Morse and from 2006 to the present on Inspector Lewis.
Meet ‘Inspector Lewis’: Kevin Whately on ‘Morse,’ John Thaw, and the End of the Series|Jace Lacob|June 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Jamie Dimon, the gruff, silver-haired chief executive officer and chairman of JPMorgan Chase, is facing an unlikely challenge.
Jamie Dimon Pushed Out at JPMorgan Chase? Fat Chance|Daniel Gross|May 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Even her husband, a gruff French surgeon who is more “Tiger Mom” than doting dad, thought the email was a bit curt.
Nick Crews’s Daughter on Her Dad’s Viral Smackdown|Lizzie Crocker|December 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He felt a tug at his sleeve and heard the gruff voice of the cabby.
The Web of the Golden Spider|Frederick Orin Bartlett
He was in the midst of a story, all life and animation, when the gruff words of the sentinel broke in so abruptly upon him.
The Frontier Angel|Edward S. Ellis
Beppo,” said the Mexican, in a gruff voice, “bring out the horses.
Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho|Harry Castlemon
"Thursday then," I heard a man's gruff voice reply brusquely.
A Village of Vagabonds|F. Berkeley Smith
Thad started when he suddenly heard a gruff voice; it sounded so very close by, that his first thought was he had been discovered.
The Boy Scouts' First Camp Fire|Herbert Carter

British Dictionary definitions for gruff

gruff

/ (ɡrʌf) /

adjective

rough or surly in manner, speech, etca gruff reply

(of a voice, bark, etc) low and throaty

Derived Formsgruffish, adjectivegruffly, adverbgruffness, noun

Word Origin for gruff

C16: originally Scottish, from Dutch grof, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German girob; related to Old English hrēof, Lithuanian kraupùs

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gruff

gruff

adj.

1530s, "coarse, coarse-grained," from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German grof "coarse (in quality), thick, large," of uncertain origin, regarded by some as related to Old English hreof, Old Norse hrjufr "rough, scabby," with Germanic completive prefix ga-. Sense of "rough, surly" recorded by 1690s. Related: Gruffness.

gruff

adjective, gruff·er, gruff·est.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of gruff

Examples from the Web for gruff

gruff

adjective

Word Origin for gruff

gruff