1
: rough, brusque, or stern in manner, speech, or aspect
a gruff reply
2
: being deep and harsh : hoarse
a gruff voice
gruffly
adverb
gruffness
noun
gruffed; gruffing; gruffs
: to utter in a gruff voice or manner
"Get out of bed now!" gruffed the sergeant.
Synonyms
Examples of gruff in a Sentence
Adjective
Don't be fooled by his gruff manner—he's really very kind.
He spoke in a gruff voice.
Recent Examples on the Web
Scott Huver, Variety, 15 May 2024
But the white-haired GM, gruff, animated and a surprisingly funny and theatrical storyteller, winced when recollecting the near-misses.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2024
Who exactly is this gruff, sarcastic, but seemingly harmless boy who has returned to their hometown of Five Fingers, Michigan, after three mysterious years away?
—Rasputin Todd, The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
His gruff boss Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean) fears for is own hide and wants Shardlake to solve the crime and shutter the beleaguered monastery.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
Bob and his boss, the affably gruff and gruffly affable Edsel Kellogg III (a pitch-perfect Jim Gaffigan), are not only feeling the toaster-pastry existential pressure, but are also dealing with labor unrest among disgruntled cereal mascots.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Diffie’s sturdy twang and Combs’s muscular, gruff vocal further extend the storyline, heightening this timeless ’90s country classic.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Apr. 2024
Hence the stereotype built around women who lived through those turbulent decades as blunt, gruff and wearing black or colorful prints and visors to keep the sun off their face.
—Soo Youn, NBC News, 16 Mar. 2024
Walsh, a character actor known for his wry delivery and gruff yet slippery persona, had over 200 acting credits to his name.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2024
James Hookway, WSJ, 16 May 2022
Pompeo, often gruff in interactions with reporters, is a skilled retail politician and, although not a soaring orator, is adept at holding an audience’s attention.
—David M. Drucker, Washington Examiner, 2 Mar. 2021
Adjective
Part of the fun was taking each actor’s signature persona and flipping it on its head, like Perlman’s gruff gravitas or Dano’s oddball spookiness.
—Scott Huver, Variety, 15 May 2024
But the white-haired GM, gruff, animated and a surprisingly funny and theatrical storyteller, winced when recollecting the near-misses.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2024
Who exactly is this gruff, sarcastic, but seemingly harmless boy who has returned to their hometown of Five Fingers, Michigan, after three mysterious years away?
—Rasputin Todd, The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
His gruff boss Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean) fears for is own hide and wants Shardlake to solve the crime and shutter the beleaguered monastery.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
Bob and his boss, the affably gruff and gruffly affable Edsel Kellogg III (a pitch-perfect Jim Gaffigan), are not only feeling the toaster-pastry existential pressure, but are also dealing with labor unrest among disgruntled cereal mascots.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Diffie’s sturdy twang and Combs’s muscular, gruff vocal further extend the storyline, heightening this timeless ’90s country classic.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 1 Apr. 2024
Hence the stereotype built around women who lived through those turbulent decades as blunt, gruff and wearing black or colorful prints and visors to keep the sun off their face.
—Soo Youn, NBC News, 16 Mar. 2024
Walsh, a character actor known for his wry delivery and gruff yet slippery persona, had over 200 acting credits to his name.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2024
Verb
Devs, normally gruff with his postgame talks, couldn’t hide his pleasure.
—James Hookway, WSJ, 16 May 2022
Pompeo, often gruff in interactions with reporters, is a skilled retail politician and, although not a soaring orator, is adept at holding an audience’s attention.
—David M. Drucker, Washington Examiner, 2 Mar. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gruff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gruff
Cite this Entry
“Gruff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gruff. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
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