gravelly
adjective
grav·el·ly
ˈgra-v(ə-)lē 
1
: of, containing, or covered with gravel
2
: having a rough or grating sound
a gravelly voice
Synonyms
Examples of gravelly in a Sentence
his singing voice is a little gravelly, but otherwise he's a fine musician
Recent Examples on the Web
From far above, the area around Yanghai cemetery looks like a collection of ground-dwelling wasp dens, drilled into a gravelly desert.
—
Sarah Scoles, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2018
This is the gravelly voice-over of Henry Hill speaking dutifully about downtown theater!
—Hunter Harris, Vulture, 27 May 2022
The Ukrainian president, in his gravelly voice, was trying to convince the American people and their leaders to stick with Ukraine.
—Frida Ghitis, CNN, 21 Dec. 2022
Named for the Maori word that describes the gravelly soil in which the grapes are grown, this wine introduces itself with aromas of graphite, purple flowers and cedar.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 20 Dec. 2022
Within seconds, their Hyundai Elantra spun out on the gravelly road and plunged backwards off a cliff along the Angeles Forest Highway.
—Diane Herbst, Peoplemag, 16 Dec. 2022
That so many of the performers are gifted comedians adds to the fun, although perhaps the funniest is Reeves, adopting the gravelly voice that seems to have become di rigueur for Batman.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 July 2022
First Vingegaard, negotiating a gravelly road, wobbled and nearly fell, one foot popping out of his pedals to keep his balance.
—New York Times, 21 July 2022
They were met with the gravelly voice of an unknown man on the other end.
—Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 13 July 2022
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Sarah Scoles, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2018
This is the gravelly voice-over of Henry Hill speaking dutifully about downtown theater!
—Hunter Harris, Vulture, 27 May 2022
The Ukrainian president, in his gravelly voice, was trying to convince the American people and their leaders to stick with Ukraine.
—Frida Ghitis, CNN, 21 Dec. 2022
Named for the Maori word that describes the gravelly soil in which the grapes are grown, this wine introduces itself with aromas of graphite, purple flowers and cedar.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 20 Dec. 2022
Within seconds, their Hyundai Elantra spun out on the gravelly road and plunged backwards off a cliff along the Angeles Forest Highway.
—Diane Herbst, Peoplemag, 16 Dec. 2022
That so many of the performers are gifted comedians adds to the fun, although perhaps the funniest is Reeves, adopting the gravelly voice that seems to have become di rigueur for Batman.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 July 2022
First Vingegaard, negotiating a gravelly road, wobbled and nearly fell, one foot popping out of his pedals to keep his balance.
—New York Times, 21 July 2022
They were met with the gravelly voice of an unknown man on the other end.
—Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 13 July 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gravelly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of gravelly was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near gravelly
Cite this Entry
“Gravelly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravelly. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
gravelly
adjective
grav·el·ly
ˈgrav-(ə-)lē
1
: of, containing, or covered with gravel
gravelly soil
2
: having a harsh scratchy sound
a gravelly voice
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