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gruff

[ gruhf ]
/ grʌf /
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See synonyms for: gruff / gruffness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, gruff·er, gruff·est.
low and harsh; hoarse: a gruff voice.
rough, brusque, or surly: a gruff manner.
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Origin of gruff

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle Dutch grof “coarse”; cognate with German grob

OTHER WORDS FROM gruff

gruff·ish, adjectivegruff·ly, adverbgruff·ness, nounun·gruff, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gruff in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gruff

gruff
/ (ÉĄrʌf) /

adjective
rough or surly in manner, speech, etca gruff reply
(of a voice, bark, etc) low and throaty

Derived forms of gruff

gruffish, 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 kraupĂčs
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
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