1
as in hoarse
harsh and dry in sound
she had a gruff speaking voice, but a surprisingly sweet singing voice
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gruff
And how would the famously gruff and businesslike Belichick work with nineteen-year-olds?
—
Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025
Guenther, a longtime fixture of Milwaukee's bar scene, was known for his gruff, obstinate and opinionated temperament.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Ralph Johnson is wry and endearing as the town rabbi, Ron Orbach is gruff and authentic as the butcher Lazar Wolf.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
His inquiries are met with gruff retorts by the barman, who is only interested in Henry buying a pint.
—Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruff
Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025
Guenther, a longtime fixture of Milwaukee's bar scene, was known for his gruff, obstinate and opinionated temperament.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Ralph Johnson is wry and endearing as the town rabbi, Ron Orbach is gruff and authentic as the butcher Lazar Wolf.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
His inquiries are met with gruff retorts by the barman, who is only interested in Henry buying a pint.
—Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruff
Adjective
-
Her voice was loud and hoarse, calling out comments or exhortations concerning the game.—
Rachel Cusk,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Joe Biden’s disastrous June 2024 debate performance, when the nation witnessed a hoarse and feeble president losing his train of thought and struggling to finish sentences, ended his re-election campaign.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, Baltimore has received a stern warning on closing out big games from former All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Shatter and Falconi had formed Flipper in the late 1970s Bay Area at the dawn of hardcore, the tougher and sterner punk variant that had a stronghold in California.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The star’s lower, huskier baritone voice has always made an impact in BTS’ music with the star citing the likes of Bing Crosby, Eric Benet and Ruben Studdard as inspirations.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Carpenter is plainly a student of Parton’s, evoking her pinup styling (voluminous hair, big red lips), her persona (sharp with a knowing wink), and her voice, which is rich and husky and accompanied by a country lilt.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite fierce opposition to certain kids books by conservative activists, Maricopa County, which serves 144,000 library cardholders, received only 12 formal letters asking for reevaluation of library books and DVDs since 2021.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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In August, the discontent grew when a leak showed that the White House's forthcoming MAHA strategy report would sidestep tougher limits on pesticides and other agrochemicals, bowing to fierce industry pressure.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But in recent years, acts of brazen violence have been the grim drumbeat of a debased national politics.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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Despite that progress, pancreatic cancer holds the grim record for having a survival rate of only 13% across five years – the lowest of all.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Marswalker has rugged wheels in each corner for gripping the steps, as well as a long antenna to sense angles and heights.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
6 Sep. 2025
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The two largest rams were lying down, seemingly enjoying their cuds and the panorama of Bear Canyon and the rugged San Andres Mountains that stretched beyond them.—
Tim Kelly,
Outdoor Life,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For starters, the Nittany Lions play their home games at Beaver Stadium, which can be an intimidating place with seating for 106,572 fans.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
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The easier tasks are less intimidating and will help build your confidence to work on something more challenging in the future.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Thanks to climate change, Cosmism’s ambivalent and generally hostile attitude towards the natural world should also sound familiar.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Another camera designed to withstand the hostile environment of space was used outside.—
Catherine Muccigrosso,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gruff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruff. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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