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Gruff: meaning, definitions and examples

๐Ÿ‘ฟ
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gruff

 

[ ษกrสŒf ]

Adjective / Noun
Context #1 | Adjective

voice tone

rough, harsh, or stern in manner or appearance

Synonyms

harsh, rough, stern

Examples of usage

  • His gruff voice scared the children away.
  • She gave him a gruff reply before hanging up the phone.
Context #2 | Noun

fairy tale character

a grumpy and often menacing dwarf in fairy tales

Synonyms

dwarf, gnome, goblin

Examples of usage

  • The gruff demanded a toll from the travelers passing through the forest.
  • She encountered a group of gruffs guarding the entrance to the cave.

Translations

Translations of the word "gruff" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น grosseiro

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค•เคฐเฅเค•เคถ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช grob

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ kasar

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะณั€ัƒะฑะธะน

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ szorstki

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ใถใฃใใ‚‰ใผใ†

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท bourru

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ รกspero

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท kaba

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๊ฑฐ์นœ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ูุธ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ drsnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ drsnรฝ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ็ฒ—้ฒ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ grobiรกn

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ grรณfur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะดำฉั€ะตะบั–

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒฃแƒฎแƒ”แƒจแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ kobud

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ รกspero

Word origin

The word 'gruff' has its origins in Middle English, where it meant rough or coarse. Over time, it evolved to describe a harsh or stern manner. The use of 'gruff' to describe a fairy tale character can be traced back to traditional folklore and storytelling, where gruffs were often depicted as grumpy and menacing creatures. The word continues to be used in modern language to convey a rough or stern tone.

See also: gruffly.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #22,806, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.