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.

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

Sullivan—a gruff Irish-Catholic variety-show host who could make or break careers—dropped a folder on the table, a dossier of FBI and press clippings, and asked bluntly:

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

Gen. Vasyl Maliuk, a gruff and muscular career security officer, took charge of the agency soon after Russia invaded in 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

Carpenter is a gruff but approachable 77 these days, his career as a film director receding in the rearview.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025

The gruff voice was gruffer than ever, as the old gentleman said abruptly, after the dreadful pause, “So you’re not afraid of me, hey?”

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott