Synonyms of gruff

gruff

adjective

ˈgrəf 

1

as in hoarse

harsh and dry in sound

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hoarse
• husky
• gravelly
• raspy
• throaty
• rusty
• coarse
• scratchy
• croaky
• rasping
• gravel
• grating
• croaking
• guttural
• abrasive
• growling
• choked
• strained
• rough
• strident
• growly
• raucous
• strangled
• jarring
• scratching
• cacophonous
• scraping
• discordant
• cracked
• grinding
• dissonant
• unmusical
• inharmonious
• screeching
• squawking
• unmelodious
• cawing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gentle
• sweet
• mellow
• golden
• liquid
• soothing
• mellifluous
• tender
• smooth
• soft
• velvety
• silken
• mellifluent
• musical
• satiny
• melodic
• lyrical
• gliding
• melodious
• lyric
• euphonious

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

• stern
• fierce
• grim
• rugged
• intimidating
• hostile
• rough
• forbidding
• bleak
• severe
• stark
• dour
• flinty
• steely
• hardened
• stubborn
• austere
• cold
• lowering
• somber
• ungentle
• dark
• moody
• louring
• black
• solemn
• unfriendly
• unsympathetic
• stiff
• resolute
• inhospitable
• steadfast
• unflinching
• adamant
• implacable
• determined
• rigid
• obstinate
• surly
• uncompromising
• sullen
• unbending
• obdurate
• unyielding
• inimical
• wilful
• unrelenting
• willful
• serious
• hardheaded
• bound
• inflexible
• purposeful
• morose
• sulky
• resolved
• melancholy
• firm
• immovable
• humorless
• fixed
• unsmiling
• intent
• hard
• melancholic
• sombre
• brooding
• cheerless
• unchangeable
• gloomy
• mulish
• glum
• immutable
• joyless
• staid
• sober
• grave
• self-willed
• ironhanded
• weighty
• set
• sobersided

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gentle
• mild
• benign
• soft
• meek
• tender
• mellow
• bland
• quiet
• benignant
• soothing
• easy
• sweet
• cheerful
• pleasant
• tranquil
• agreeable
• bright
• nonintimidating
• happy
• pleasing
• glad
• lighthearted
• merry
• inviting
• playful
• mirthful
• goofy
• sunny
• silly
• frivolous
• giddy
• scatterbrained
• flighty
• harebrained
• featherbrained
• light-headed

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

Recent Examples of gruff

Despite a gruff exterior that chased some would-be photographers away, Lipack changed the lives of many who stuck it out. —Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025

This was the puzzle: The Torch and the Treasure A Bridge Puzzle of Strategy, Speed... and Stolen Gold Five daring fantasy thieves—a nimble Elf, a sneaky Goblin, a fleet-footed Satyr, a gruff Dwarf, and a hulking Troll—have just pulled off the heist of the century. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

Could this gruff old man playing mahjong in a nondescript hall be a curious gambler on the last boat up the Mekong, laughing in the face of Edward’s existential crisis? —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025

In The Empire’s frame, residents of a coastal village in northern France — gruff, virile fisherman Jony (Brandon Vlieghe) and teenage tease Line (Lyna Khoudri) — reveal their oddball allegiance to extraterrestrial invaders. —Armond White, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025