Thesaurus

gruff

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of gruff

1 harsh and dry in sound

she had a gruff speaking voice, but a surprisingly sweet singing voice

Synonyms of gruff

coarse, croaking, croaky, grating, gravel, gravelly, hoarse, husky, rasping, raspy, rusty, scratchy, throaty

Words Related to gruff

growling, growly, guttural

abrasive, cacophonous, discordant, grinding, jarring, rough, scraping, scratching

cawing, raucous, screeching, squawking, strident

choked, cracked, strained, strangled

dissonant, inharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical

Near Antonyms of gruff

gentle, gliding, golden, liquid, mellifluent, mellifluous, mellow, soothing, sweet, tender

satiny, silken, smooth, soft, velvety

euphonious, lyric, lyrical, melodic, melodious, musical

2 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 of gruff

austere, dour, fierce, flinty, forbidding, grim, intimidating, lowering (also louring), rough, rugged, severe, stark, steely, stern, ungentle

Words Related to gruff

bleak, cold, hostile, inhospitable, inimical, unfriendly, unsympathetic

adamant, bound, determined, firm, intent, purposeful, resolute, resolved, steadfast, unflinching

fixed, hard, hardened, hardheaded, immovable, implacable, inflexible, ironhanded, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, rigid, self-willed, set, stiff, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful)

immutable, unchangeable

black, cheerless, dark, gloomy, glum, joyless, melancholic, moody, morose, sulky, sullen, surly

brooding, grave, humorless, melancholy, serious, sober, sobersided, solemn, somber (or sombre), staid, unsmiling, weighty

Near Antonyms of gruff

bland, meek, mellow, soft, soothing

easy, quiet, tranquil

agreeable, bright, cheerful, inviting, pleasant, pleasing, sweet

glad, happy, lighthearted, merry, mirthful, sunny

featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, giddy, goofy, harebrained, light-headed, playful, scatterbrained, silly

Antonyms of gruff

benign, benignant, gentle, mild, nonintimidating, tender

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about gruff

See words that rhyme with gruff Dictionary: Definition of gruff Spanish Central: Translation of gruff Nglish: Translation of gruff for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gruff for Arabic speakers

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