gruff

(grŭf)
adj., gruff·er, gruff·est.

1. Brusque or stern in manner or appearance: a gruff reply.
2. Hoarse; harsh: a gruff voice.

[Dutch grof, from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German.]

gruffly gruff'ly adv.
gruffness gruff'ness n.

SYNONYMS   gruff, brusque, blunt, bluff, curt, crusty. These adjectives mean abrupt and sometimes discourteous in manner or speech. Gruff implies roughness or surliness but does not necessarily suggest rudeness: a gruff reply. Brusque emphasizes rude abruptness: a brusque manner. Blunt stresses utter frankness and usually a disconcerting directness: a blunt refusal. Bluff refers to unpolished, unceremonious manner but usually implies hearty good nature: a bluff and courageous sailor. Curt denotes usually rude briefness and abruptness of speech: a curt letter of rejection. Crusty suggests a rough and forbidding manner that sometimes conceals benevolence of spirit: a crusty old gentlemen who feeds stray cats.

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adjective

1. Rudely unceremonious: abrupt, blunt, brief, brusque, crusty, curt, short, short-spoken. See attitude/good attitude/bad attitude/neutral attitude.
2. Low and grating in sound: croaking, croaky, hoarse, husky¹. See sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.

adj

Definition: bad-tempered, rude
Antonyms: courteous, even-tempered, friendly, happy, nice, polite

adj

Definition: rasping in sound
Antonyms: mellow, pleasant, soft, sweet

IN BRIEF: Rough or harsh, especially in voice.

The main character in the play had a very gruff voice and seemed to be mean.

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For a list of words related to gruff, see:

• Cold, Unfriendly, Irritable, or Cruel

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See words rhyming with "gruff."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Gruff.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - studs, barsk, bøs, brysk

Nederlands (Dutch)
nors, nurks

Français (French)
adj. - bourru

Deutsch (German)
adj. - barsch, harsch

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - τραχύς, απότομος

Italiano (Italian)
burbero, rauco

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - ríspido, rouco

Русский (Russian)
неприветливый, резкий (о голосе)

Español (Spanish)
adj. - áspero, desabrido, destemplado, malhumorado, brusco

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - grov, sträv

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
粗暴的, 脾气坏的, 生硬的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 粗暴的, 脾氣壞的, 生硬的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 퉁명스런, 목소리가 쉰

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - どら声の, しわがれ声の, 荒々しい, 粗暴な
v. - どら声で言う

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) فظ, اجش‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮צרוד, קשה, גס, מחוספס, מזעיף-פנים‬

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