gruff

[ gruhf ]
See synonyms for gruff on Thesaurus.com
adjective,gruff·er, gruff·est.
  1. low and harsh; hoarse: a gruff voice.

  2. rough, brusque, or surly: a gruff manner.

Origin of gruff

1
First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle Dutch grof “coarse”; cognate with German grob

Other words for gruff

Opposites for gruff

Other words from gruff

  • gruff·ish, adjective
  • gruff·ly, adverb
  • gruff·ness, noun
  • un·gruff, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use gruff in a sentence

  • She was painfully afraid that he had already grown weary of regular employment, and the fear made her voice gruffer than usual.

    Ester Ried Yet Speaking | Isabella Alden
  • So he went back to his chair, his pipe, and his tumbler, and was gruffer and more taciturn than ever for the rest of the evening.

    Doctor Grimshawe's Secret | Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Her voice was gruffer, her manner more downright, and she was inclined to patronise the more foolish virgin.

    Howards End | E. M. Forster
  • The marrow of Poulailler's back became awfully cold—but he grew gruffer than ever, in spite of his back.

  • "But it is against all the rules of diplomacy," said a gruffer voice in the same language.

    The Book of All-Power | Edgar Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for gruff

gruff

/ (ɡrʌf) /


adjective
  1. rough or surly in manner, speech, etc: a gruff reply

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

Origin of gruff

1
C16: originally Scottish, from Dutch grof, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German girob; related to Old English hrēof, Lithuanian kraupùs

Derived forms of gruff

  • gruffish, adjective
  • gruffly, adverb
  • gruffness, noun

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