gruff
[ gruhf ]
/ grʌf /
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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
1525–35; <Middle Dutch grof coarse; cognate with German grob
OTHER WORDS FROM gruff
gruffish, adjectivegruffly, adverbgruffness, nounun·gruff, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for gruff
British Dictionary definitions for gruff
gruff
/ (ɡrʌf) /
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, nounWord Origin for gruff
C16: originally Scottish, from Dutch grof, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German girob; related to Old English hrēof, Lithuanian kraupùs
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