gruff
[gruhf]
- low and harsh; hoarse: a gruff voice.
- rough, brusque, or surly: a gruff manner.
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Origin of gruff
1525–35; < Middle Dutch grof coarse; cognate with German grob
Synonyms
See more synonyms for gruff on Thesaurus.com2. curt.
Antonyms
2. courteous.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for gruff
Contemporary Examples
To the hordes who wanted time with Lincoln, the gruff and efficient Nicolay was the “grim enforcer.”
Bichir manages to be gruff but sensitive, honest yet mysterious, making Ruiz a mix of righteousness and compassion.
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 SeriesJace Lacob
June 14, 2013
Jamie Dimon, the gruff, silver-haired chief executive officer and chairman of JPMorgan Chase, is facing an unlikely challenge.
Even her husband, a gruff French surgeon who is more “Tiger Mom” than doting dad, thought the email was a bit curt.
Historical Examples
“Seventeen, an it please your grace,” said Stephen, in the gruff voice of his age.
The Armourer's PrenticesCharlotte M. Yonge
I could hear the voice of a woman and then the gruff tones of a man.
The UnderdogF. Hopkinson Smith
A gruff voice from the doorway broke harshly in upon a measure.
Meadow GrassAlice Brown
I want you to tell me why Mr Haredale—oh, how gruff he is again, to be sure!
Barnaby RudgeCharles Dickens
Bismarck leaned over and in his gruff way asked, “Give me a match!”
Blood and IronJohn Hubert Greusel
gruff
- rough or surly in manner, speech, etca gruff reply
- (of a voice, bark, etc) low and throaty
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Word Origin
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
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Word Origin and History for 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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper