gruff
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Senate, the gruff oysterman opened with a joke.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, most leading tenor saxophonists adapted either the hefty, gruff attack of Coleman Hawkins or the airy, linear style of Lester Young.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
Her stamina impresses her manager, Greg, a gruff gay man who tells her about the gay club in town, where she meets Tina, the woman who teaches her acceptance through unconditional love.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
He stays gruff, of course, but you sense that Ray is as manacled by his authoritarian role as Colin literally is in his hungry, slurping devotion to his master.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026
Even when I was a child and he was a scary figure on Mom’s computer monitor with a gruff voice and a bushy mustache.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Dad was gruffer, but still avoided saying it outright.
From Slate ● May 29, 2018
“There was a handful of people here for something yesterday,” says the voice, which seems to be getting gruffer.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 7, 2018
Sanchez is a slightly gruffer presence in the background.
From New York Times ● Jun. 12, 2017
Tanto is louder, Oz is gruffer, Rone is an old friend of Jack's from past tours of duty.
From The Verge ● Jan. 14, 2016
This time the question was gruffer, like gravel scraping along rusted metal.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
Possessing one of the sharpest minds in the business, Prince was one of its gruffest truth-tellers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2019
Here bringing heart to what could be a harsh cad, in even his his gruffest, roughest performances, Finney always found an emotional center that allowed audiences in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2019
“Loving you is complicated,” he announces, in his gruffest tone: the “you” is himself, hip-hop, and his own success.
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 18, 2015
Mr. Bradlee looked up from his omnipresent crossword puzzle, “and in his gruffest voice,” Pincus recalled, “he said, ‘You ought to be paying me for all the fun you’re having.’ ”
From Washington Post
We always called him the nut that couldn’t be cracked—the roughest, gruffest old fellow that ever breathed, and he looked so hard and sour at me that I wished I hadn’t gone, and was silent.
From To Win or to Die A Tale of the Klondike Gold Craze by Hardy, Paul
Vocabulary lists containing gruff
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Auggie & Me
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
