Synonyms of hoarse

hoarse

adjective

ˈhȯrs 

as in gruff

harsh and dry in sound

the dying man spoke in a hoarse whisper

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hoarse

The 28-year-old singer cut her Tuesday evening set short after playing only a few songs inside the Colorado city’s Ball Arena, with fan footage captured inside the venue showing Moroney speaking to fans through a hoarse voice. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026

The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands. — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026

Others walked home sunburned, hoarse and still dressed in blue and orange. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026

During the debate, Joe Biden frequently lost his train of thought, stumbled over answers, and appeared hoarse, fueling concerns among voters and party leaders. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026