gruff

[ gruhf ]
/ grʌf /

adjective, gruff·er, gruff·est.

low and harsh; hoarse: a gruff voice.
rough, brusque, or surly: a gruff manner.

Origin of gruff

1525–35; < Middle Dutch grof coarse; cognate with German grob

SYNONYMS FOR gruff

2 curt.

ANTONYMS FOR gruff

2 courteous.

OTHER WORDS FROM gruff

gruff·ish, adjective gruff·ly, adverb gruff·ness, noun un·gruff, adjective

Words nearby gruff

gruel, grueling, gruelling, gruenberg, gruesome, gruff, gruffy, grugru, gruiform, grum, grumble

Example sentences from the Web for gruffly

British Dictionary definitions for gruffly

gruff
/ (ɡrʌf) /

adjective

rough or surly in manner, speech, etc a gruff reply
(of a voice, bark, etc) low and throaty

Derived forms of gruff

gruffish, adjective gruffly, adverb gruffness, noun

Word Origin for gruff

C16: originally Scottish, from Dutch grof, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German girob; related to Old English hrēof, Lithuanian kraupùs