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
In The Empire’s frame, residents of a coastal village in northern France — gruff, virile fisherman Jony (Brandon Vlieghe) and teenage tease Line (Lyna Khoudri) — reveal their oddball allegiance to extraterrestrial invaders.
—
Armond White, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
Big Hank and his Russian girlfriend Nadia (Blasey Best) are a thrill to watch as a gruff older couple trying to find a middle ground with the kids.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
The gruff but beloved Hackman was among the most accomplished actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
Ford’s actually relatively locked-in as the gruff but supportive Colonel Graff training the impressionable Ender (Asa Butterfield), who has to save the universe as all lads in these types of films tend to do.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruff
Armond White, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
Big Hank and his Russian girlfriend Nadia (Blasey Best) are a thrill to watch as a gruff older couple trying to find a middle ground with the kids.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
The gruff but beloved Hackman was among the most accomplished actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
Ford’s actually relatively locked-in as the gruff but supportive Colonel Graff training the impressionable Ender (Asa Butterfield), who has to save the universe as all lads in these types of films tend to do.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruff
Adjective
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Fans clamor over the major shift in Carti’s vocal cadence to something deeper and more hoarse than his past work.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
8 Jan. 2025
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Typically lasting about a week, these include chronic cough, sneezing fits, runny nose, sinus pressure, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and hoarse (scratchy, raspy) voice.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Fifteen games have passed since, cementing Deepdale as one of the sternest away trips in the English Football League.—
Sam Tighe,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Subplots like his minority investment in the sleazy nightclub The Snakehole Lounge afforded him the opportunity to showcase a stunning variety of little coats, unlike Scott, whose stern and straight-laced state auditor Ben Wyatt seemingly never changes into anything less formal.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Voicing the bag is an older woman with a husky Tuscan timbre, which carries the whole way through its lifecycle onscreen.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2025
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My husky boy feet cemented into the concrete veranda.—
Diane Seuss,
Harper's Magazine,
2 July 2024
Adjective
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The Jackson estate explicitly wanted nothing about Chandler in the film, so fact that the allegations do appear has led to a fierce internal dispute and extensive reshoots, Deadline has confirmed.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
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The sky-high prices caused fierce backlash against Ticketmaster, the country’s biggest ticketing website and concert promoter, from lawmakers who accused the company of acting as a monopoly.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Smells like teen spirit As bloody and grim as Greek myths have always been, Santa Monica Studio established even darker trappings with 2005’s God of War.—
Diego Argüello,
Rolling Stone,
22 Mar. 2025
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The grim environment has done little to deter the Canadians from touting their diamond industry and close work with the Indigenous communities where the mines are based.—
Samantha Conti,
WWD,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Average or above skaters who can make plays and contribute to the rugged side of the game.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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This ceramic vase has a rugged, natural matte texture and measures 14.4 inches high, so it’s bound to be a statement piece on your table, mantle, etc.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Being invited to speak to a group of leaders—whether peers, senior executives or cross-functional stakeholders—can feel both exciting and intimidating.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Liston was famous for being ill-tempered and intimidating.—
Jerry McDonald,
The Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Andreas typically waits until there have been three instances of potential hostile communication before asking her friend or colleague if everything is OK.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
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Home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations – most of them from Afghanistan – Pakistan has not always welcomed the foreigners, subjecting them to hostile living conditions and threatening deportation over the years.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gruff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruff. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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