1
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
she had a gruff speaking voice, but a surprisingly sweet singing voice
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stern
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
I didn't exchange one word with the gruff mountaineer who sat next to me in the diner
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gruff
However, where Juve was a gruff, bluesy soldier, Wayne was more melodic, more nimble, loquacious even at this early age.
—
Pitchfork, 6 June 2025
Faced with this existential crisis, Bull gathers his best pals—Rocco, a gruff boxer (Idris Elba); Lucky, a dopey but loyal beagle (Bobby Moynihan); and Fetch, a wannabe influencer dachshund (Fred Armisen)—for one final night of canine mischief.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Though polar opposites, together, Leonard and Bitchy have seen it all; the gruff Bitchy serves as the play’s agitator, pitting him opposite Leonard, the conscience and Greek chorus.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 30 July 2025
The strength and conditioning coach barked out stretches in a gruff voice, starting off the first practice of fall football camp on a note of discipline.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruff
Pitchfork, 6 June 2025
Faced with this existential crisis, Bull gathers his best pals—Rocco, a gruff boxer (Idris Elba); Lucky, a dopey but loyal beagle (Bobby Moynihan); and Fetch, a wannabe influencer dachshund (Fred Armisen)—for one final night of canine mischief.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Though polar opposites, together, Leonard and Bitchy have seen it all; the gruff Bitchy serves as the play’s agitator, pitting him opposite Leonard, the conscience and Greek chorus.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 30 July 2025
The strength and conditioning coach barked out stretches in a gruff voice, starting off the first practice of fall football camp on a note of discipline.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruff
Adjective
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For most of his first 10 songs, Costello’s singing was ragged and hoarse.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
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Screamed himself hoarse and still tried calling for his brother.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Over the past three seasons, viewers have grown fond of Laurel, Belly’s stern but loving mom, whose friendship with the Fisher boys’ mom, Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), is the reason Belly’s in this whole brother-love-triangle mess to begin with.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
20 Aug. 2025
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Yet the power in these two performances isn’t supplemented by much texture in the stern, declamatory writing: There’s little sense of how this relationship functions, or once functioned, outside these particularly fraught scenes.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The exception may be the size of the potato gnocchi, husky rectangles of creamy potato dumplings in a lemon butter sauce, circling jumbo lump crab morsels dappled with chives.—
Beth D'Addono,
Southern Living,
4 Aug. 2025
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Hank’s son Bobby is no longer a husky middle-schooler, but a 21-year-old running his own Japanese-German fusion restaurant in Dallas, for instance.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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The incident comes amid fierce controversy around pro-Palestinian activism and free speech in the UK, with musicians often at the forefront.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
23 Aug. 2025
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Data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) shows Democrats ahead of Republicans in overall fundraising, with more success among House Democrats than senators, as the parties gear up for a fierce 2026 midterm election.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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So, while the start of this season has been grim for Vitor Pereira and his team, all is not lost.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
24 Aug. 2025
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The rhetoric of 2025 is confrontational, transactional, divisive and grim.—
Leah M. Wright,
CNN Money,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The 2025 Subaru Outback is an adventure-ready SUV Subaru's SUV models like the Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback are known for their rugged exteriors and off-roading potential.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
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Fleece merges a rugged sophistication with everyday staples.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This season, the idea of him sharing the new ball with Lockie Ferguson could form one of the most intimidating pace duos in the competition.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
9 Aug. 2025
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Compared to most of their fellow National League contenders, the Cubs' rotation isn't very intimidating on paper.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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This breach demonstrates that hostile players can target individuals within organizations, not just organizations themselves.—
Phillimon Zongo,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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That information enables commanders to launch defensive or offensive strikes in seconds, whether intercepting an incoming cruise missile, engaging hostile aircraft, or directing Tomahawk missiles at land targets hundreds of miles away.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gruff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruff. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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