gruff
Example Sentences
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As Morrison jammed in the kitchen, Hansard said his request for one of his songs was met with a gruff response from Morrison.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Senate, the gruff oysterman opened with a joke.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Even the formidable C. Aubrey Smith, as the gruff chairman of Colet & Cie., never crosses her directly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Stout and slightly gruff, Dipper has a digital face that can approximate more than 40 expressions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
The first two names I called were not available, but on the third call, a gruff voice answered with a word that sounded like “haaawdy” and then asked, “Whut due ya’ll need...?”
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
“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
Pos and Dave sound older and gruffer, as they should, but their trademark wit and verbal dexterity are still in prime form.
From Slate ● Aug. 30, 2016
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
What light can Billy Joel shed on “Maybe I’m Amazed” or “Live and Let Die” when the only difference between Joel and McCartney’s performances is Joel’s slightly gruffer voice?
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2014
“Come in!” and Mr. Laurence’s gruff voice sounded gruffer than ever, as Jo tapped at his door.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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
"Now look here," said he, in his gruffest voice, "this is a bad job—bad job."
From Old Trails on the Niagara Frontier by Severance, Frank H.
Vocabulary lists containing gruff
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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The Girl Who Drank the Moon
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Auggie & Me
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