gruff

1 of 2

adjective

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

gruff

2 of 2

verb

gruffed; gruffing; gruffs

transitive verb

: to utter in a gruff voice or manner
"Get out of bed now!" gruffed the sergeant.
Choose the Right Synonym for gruff

bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, crusty, gruff mean abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner.

bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality.

a bluff manner

blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings.

a blunt appraisal

brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness.

a brusque response

curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.

a curt command

crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.

a crusty exterior

gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.

puts on a gruff pose

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
Adjective
Despite the gruff tone, the Navy Secretary’s outburst was, at some level, entirely predictable—and something savvy industry strategists could have been more proactive in addressing. Craig Hooper, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 And this character archetype — a man with a gruff exterior but a good heart — would become a throughline for his career. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2024 Loosely inspired by Gomer Jones, a deaf sniper who fought in World War I, the show opens in rural Wales with an 8-year-old Jones getting a lesson from his gruff father in sharpshooting and hard truths. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 Dressed down in jeans and a black button-up, Chapman played acoustic guitar and graciously traded verses with the gruff country vocalist, smiling at each other as nominees Taylor Swift and Brandi Carlile looked on lovingly from the crowd. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 As for Bernadette, there’s not much Lovejoy can do with the gruff, felonious lesbian deployed by Fillinger more as a comic device than a dimensional figure. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2024 The rest was Kings history, with Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014, but even Sutter’s gruff messaging eventually wore thin. Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024 Danvers and Navarro are policewomen stationed in Ennis, a fictional Alaskan town where the gruff white residents frequently clash with the region’s Indigenous Iñupiat people over the economy, environment, and other territorial concerns. Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2024 His gruff semi-growl immediately signals the track as a drill anthem (as does the pounding production, courtesy of Ajellz, Nxxre, Bullo Producer and YoJelly) — but, more importantly, his tone is the track’s entire center of gravity. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 8 Jan. 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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

Verb

derivative of gruff entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gruff was in 1691

Dictionary Entries Near gruff

Cite this Entry

“Gruff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gruff. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gruff

adjective
ˈgrəf
1
: rough or stern in manner, speech, or look
a gruff reply
2
: being deep and harsh : hoarse
a gruff voice
gruffly adverb
gruffness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on gruff

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