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definitions

gruff

[ gruhf ]
/ grʌf /
||

adjective, gruff·er, gruff·est.

low and harsh; hoarse: a gruff voice.
rough, brusque, or surly: a gruff manner.

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Nearby words

  1. gruelling,
  2. gruenberg,
  3. gruenberg, louis,
  4. gruesome,
  5. gruesomely,
  6. gruffly,
  7. gruffy,
  8. grugru,
  9. gruiform,
  10. gruis

Origin of gruff

1525–35; < Middle Dutch grof coarse; cognate with German grob
SYNONYMS FOR gruff
2. curt.
ANTONYMS FOR gruff
2. courteous.
Related formsgruff·ish, adjectivegruff·ly, adverbgruff·ness, nounun·gruff, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gruffly

British Dictionary definitions for gruffly

gruff

/ (ɡrʌf) /

adjective

rough or surly in manner, speech, etca gruff reply
(of a voice, bark, etc) low and throaty
Derived Formsgruffish, 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 kraupùs
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
Word Origin and History for gruffly
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper