gruff

adjective

ˈgrəf How to pronounce gruff (audio)
Definition of gruffnext
1
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound she had a gruff speaking voice, but a surprisingly sweet singing voice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word gruff distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of gruff are bluff, blunt, brusque, crusty, and curt. While all these words mean "abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner," gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.

puts on a gruff pose

When is bluff a more appropriate choice than gruff?

While the synonyms bluff and gruff are close in meaning, bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality.

a bluff manner

In what contexts can blunt take the place of gruff?

While in some cases nearly identical to gruff, blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings.

a blunt appraisal

When could brusque be used to replace gruff?

The meanings of brusque and gruff largely overlap; however, brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness.

a brusque response

When would crusty be a good substitute for gruff?

Although the words crusty and gruff have much in common, crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.

a crusty exterior

When might curt be a better fit than gruff?

The synonyms curt and gruff are sometimes interchangeable, but curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.

a curt command

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gruff Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess. —Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2025 The Old Man was short and gruff and had chin whiskers. —Robert Easton, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2025 Landon was also famous for his double act with Victor French who played the gruff outdoor-living Isaiah Edwards in Little House. —Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025 And how would the famously gruff and businesslike Belichick work with nineteen-year-olds? —Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gruff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruff
  1. hoarse
  2. stern
  3. husky
  4. grim
  5. intimidating
  6. fierce
  7. rugged
  8. hostile
Adjective
  • When a reporter reached her by phone a week later, her voice sounded hoarse.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Give Palestine your voice, and when your voice goes hoarse, hang your flags, wear your keffiyeh.
    — Thomas Smith, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of hoarse
Adjective
  • On Academy Street, taken over by Dominicans, the Fourth translated into a jubilant handful of families and neighbors on each stretch of sidewalk, with speakers, folding chairs, and beer bottles at the foot of stern buildings.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The boat can easily accommodate a dozen guests, thanks to the abundant seating, including a rear-facing lounge at the stern and bow lounge.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • Athena, who was born in April, is a shepsky mix, half husky and half German shepherd.
    — Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • One of Lipa’s most significant attributes is the husky tone of her mezzo-soprano, lending a gritty roughness to her songs’ pop polish.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 5 Oct. 2025
Definition of husky
Adjective
  • That’s a grim prospect—but then, in Venezuela, yesterday’s grimmest prospects become tomorrow’s headlines with dreadful regularity.
    — Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Controversy follows Cheney While Cheney's disposition was never particularly sunny, critics assailed the vice president as a relentlessly grim figure.
    — Don Gonyea, NPR, 4 Nov. 2025
Definition of grim
Adjective
  • The Kingpin is one of its offerings this year, an intimidating V-8 monster that makes over 800 horsepower and is blacked out.
    — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The podcast is meant to do some of the bedtime planning for parents, taking an intimidating task off their plate.
    — Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 29 Oct. 2025
Definition of intimidating
Adjective
  • In intra-party diplo-speak, that was about as fierce a burn as can come from the party’s central committee.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The city’s fierce weather pattern is fueled by the same Arctic air mass expected to sweep through the eastern two-thirds of the US this week.
    — Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • And, importantly, that now-familiar reliable, rugged push.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
  • For instance, it is equipped with a four-wheel independent drive system, providing maximum mobility across complex and rugged terrain.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
Definition of rugged
Adjective
  • There are guns, horses, ghosts, a primal struggle for survival in hostile terrain, family feuds and a steadily intensifying sense of mortal threat, as Old Porch’s ambition and psychopathy escalate the drama.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Fire department suffering low morale When Washington was fired, City Manager Sheryl Long blamed him for creating a hostile work environment for female firefighters and for failing to improve the department's workplace culture.
    — Aaron Valdez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025
Definition of hostile

Browse Nearby Words

gruesomeness
gruff
gruffly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gruff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruff. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on gruff

Nglish: Translation of gruff for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Putting Adjectives in the Right Order

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Skibidi, Mog & More: Gen Alpha Slang

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

Birds Say the Darndest Things

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Skibidi, Mog & More: Gen Alpha Slang

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a pencil broken in half on top of a test answer sheet
Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2 No Number 2 pencil required.
See All