adjective
-
rough or surly in manner, speech, etc
a gruff reply
-
(of a voice, bark, etc) low and throaty
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Auggie & Me
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
She described Winstone as a "lovely man" who was "exactly the same in character as in real life with his proper gruff East End accent".
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
For someone whose notoriety has twice become inseparable from who he’s married to, Pitt’s choice to play gruff loners feels noticeably calculated, keeping an arm’s distance between his work and the audience.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
His approach was unique; he took the grandeur and majesty of the Duke Ellington Orchestra sax section, updated that sound, and infused it with bluesy grit and a gruff, avant-garde crankiness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
“Sin never stops,” Moretta said in his distinctive gruff voice, a Roman collar peeking from his black guayabera.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Surely it all meant that the strange coachman truly was a friend to her and the Incorrigibles, in spite of his gruff manner and puzzling remarks.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Their melodious deliveries was were complimented by the gruffer voice and more theatrical likes of Dixon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2018
“There was a handful of people here for something yesterday,” says the voice, which seems to be getting gruffer.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 7, 2018
Sanchez is a slightly gruffer presence in the background.
From New York Times ● Jun. 12, 2017
Pos and Dave sound older and gruffer, as they should, but their trademark wit and verbal dexterity are still in prime form.
From Slate ● Aug. 30, 2016
I could hear the gruffer voices of adults arriving on the scene.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Possessing one of the sharpest minds in the business, Prince was one of its gruffest truth-tellers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2019
Here bringing heart to what could be a harsh cad, in even his his gruffest, roughest performances, Finney always found an emotional center that allowed audiences in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2019
“Loving you is complicated,” he announces, in his gruffest tone: the “you” is himself, hip-hop, and his own success.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 18, 2015
Mr. Bradlee looked up from his omnipresent crossword puzzle, “and in his gruffest voice,” Pincus recalled, “he said, ‘You ought to be paying me for all the fun you’re having.’ ”
From Washington Post
"Go away; I didn't say I didn't," said Aunt Hepsy in her gruffest tones.
From Thankful Rest by Annie S. (Annie Shepherd) Swan
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
