adjective
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rough or surly in manner, speech, etc
a gruff reply
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(of a voice, bark, etc) low and throaty
Other Word Forms
- gruffish adjective
- gruffly adverb
- gruffness noun
- ungruff adjective
Etymology
Origin of gruff
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle Dutch grof “coarse”; cognate with German grob
Explanation
Gruff is an abrupt or forbidding tone. It's the kind of short, brusque response you'd give a telemarketer who called you in the middle of dinner — right before you hung up. Gruff is the perfect adjective to describe a crotchety old man who rarely leaves his house and yells at any children who dare to cross his lawn. You can almost imagine the rough tone of his voice as he points his cane at those pesky "trespassers," his deep, terrifying bark, causing all the children on his lawn to immediately scatter.
Vocabulary lists containing gruff
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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The Girl Who Drank the Moon
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Auggie & Me
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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.
Even the formidable C. Aubrey Smith, as the gruff chairman of Colet & Cie., never crosses her directly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Her stamina impresses her manager, Greg, a gruff gay man who tells her about the gay club in town, where she meets Tina, the woman who teaches her acceptance through unconditional love.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
Stout and slightly gruff, Dipper has a digital face that can approximate more than 40 expressions.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
Mr. Hersh, age 88, is a gruff charmer; a viewer will understand why people open up to him.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025
“I’m fine,” she said, a bit gruff due to an unaccountable ache in her throat.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
