gruff Definition

gruff
adj gruffer, gruffest

1. Said of a voice: deep and rough.

Thesaurus: hoarse, husky, throaty, grating, gravelly, rough, guttural, rasping, strident; Antonym: clear, sweet.
2. Rough, unfriendly or surly in manner.

Thesaurus: brusque, blunt, curt, abrupt, rude, crude, impolite, unmannerly, uncivil, discourteous; Antonym: courteous.

Derivative: gruffly
adverb

Derivative: gruffness
noun

Etymology: 16c Scots as groiff, meaning ‘coarse': from Dutch grof coarse.