Gruff — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Gruff (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. harsh and dry in sound

   "she had a gruff speaking voice, but a surprisingly sweet singing voice"

   similar: coarse, croaking, croaky, grating, gravel, gravelly, hoarse, husky, rasping, raspy, rusty, scratchy, throaty
   related: growling, growly, guttural, abrasive, cacophonous, discordant, grinding, jarring, rough, scraping, scratching, cawing, raucous, screeching, squawking, strident, choked, cracked, strained, strangled, dissonant, inharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical
   near: gentle, gliding, golden, liquid, mellifluent, mellifluous, mellow, soothing, sweet, tender, satiny, silken, smooth, soft, velvety, euphonious, lyric, lyrical, melodic, melodious, musical

2. 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"

   similar: austere, dour, fierce, flinty, forbidding, grim, intimidating, lowering, rough, rugged, severe, stark, steely, stern, ungentle
   related: bleak, cold, hostile, inhospitable, inimical, unfriendly, unsympathetic, adamant, bound, determined, firm, intent, purposeful, resolute, resolved, steadfast, unflinching, fixed, hard, hardened, hardheaded, immovable, implacable, inflexible, ironhanded, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, rigid, self-willed, set, stiff, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful, immutable, unchangeable, black, cheerless, dark, gloomy, glum, joyless, melancholic, moody, morose, sulky, sullen, surly, brooding, grave, humorless, melancholy, serious, sober, sobersided, solemn, somber, staid, unsmiling, weighty
   opposite: benign, benignant, gentle, mild, nonintimidating, tender
   near: bland, meek, mellow, soft, soothing, easy, quiet, tranquil, agreeable, bright, cheerful, inviting, pleasant, pleasing, sweet, glad, happy, lighthearted, merry, mirthful, sunny, featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, giddy, goofy, harebrained, light-headed, playful, scatterbrained, silly