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.
The son of a Scottish immigrant, McCluskie had a reputation as a political street fighter and his gruff style complemented Becerra’s more measured, cerebral approach.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
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
The call-in, which lasted four hours and a half hours, has also been used to humanize a leader better known in the West for his gruff outbursts and cold demeanor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025
But though his voice was gruff, there was a light in his bloodshot eyes.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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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