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.
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
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
He is a situational bear, a situational bull and, almost despite himself, at age 87, a gruff, perpetual, starry-eyed idealist.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
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
“That’s all right!” said a deep, gruff voice from within.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
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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