gruff
pronunciation
How to pronounce gruff in British English:
UK [grʌf]
How to pronounce gruff in American English:
US [ɡrʌf]
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- Adjective:
- brusque and surly and forbidding
- deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion
Word Origin
- gruff (adj.)
- 1530s, of physical things, "coarse, coarse-grained," from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German grof "coarse (in quality), thick, large," of uncertain origin, regarded by some as related to Old English hreof, Old Norse hrjufr "rough, scabby," with Germanic completive prefix ga-. Of manners, "rough, surly," by 1690s. Related: Gruffness.
Example
- 1. He continued in the same gruff voice .
- 2. Mr harwood discovered he could not let the subject go . He decided to write a play about strauss and nervously inquired of his guru , harold pinter , whether it was all right to describe the play as a " companion piece " . Mr pinter 's gruff response was that of course it was .
- 3. He declared in a slightly gruff but very powerful voice .
- 4. Don 't be put off by his gruff exterior .
- 5. His rumpled appearance and gruff voice .