gruff

¹gruff

adjective \ˈgrəf\

Definition of GRUFF

1

: rough, brusque, or stern in manner, speech, or aspect <a gruff reply>

2

: being deep and harsh : hoarse <a gruff voice>

— gruff·ly adverb

— gruff·ness noun

Examples of GRUFF

1. Don't be fooled by his gruff manner—he's really very kind.
2. He spoke in a gruff voice.

Origin of GRUFF

Dutch grof; akin to Old High German grob coarse, hruf scurf — more at dandruff

First Known Use: 1691

Related to GRUFF

Synonyms

coarse, croaking, croaky, grating, gravel, gravelly, hoarse, husky, rasping, raspy, rusty, scratchy, throaty

Antonyms

benign, benignant, gentle, mild, nonintimidating, tender

Related Words

growling, growly, guttural; abrasive, cacophonous, discordant, grinding, jarring, rough, scraping, scratching; cawing, raucous, screeching, squawking, strident; choked, cracked, strained, strangled; dissonant, inharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical

Near Antonyms

gentle, gliding, golden, liquid, mellifluent, mellifluous, mellow, soothing, sweet, tender; satiny, silken, smooth, soft, velvety; euphonious, lyric, lyrical, melodic, melodious, musical

See Synonym Discussion at bluff

Rhymes with GRUFF

bluff, buff, chough, chuff, cuff, duff, fluff, guff, huff, luff, muff, puff, rough, ruff, scruff, scuff, slough, snuff, sough, stuff, tough, tuff

²gruff

transitive verb

Definition of GRUFF

: to utter in a gruff voice or manner

First Known Use of GRUFF

1706