Dictionary

gruff en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɡɹʊf/ (Northern-England)
• /ɡɹɐf/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /ɡɹʌf/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

16th century, from Dutch grof and/or Middle Low German grof (both “rough, coarse, rude”), from Old Dutch *grof or Old Saxon *grof, both from Proto-West Germanic *grob, from Proto-Germanic *grubaz (“coarse, rough”), possibly from an earlier *gahrubaz and then related with *hreubaz (“scabby, rough, scrubby”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian groaf (“rough, coarse, crude”), West Frisian grof (“rough, coarse, crude”), Low German groff (“rough, coarse, crude”), German grob (“rough, coarse, crude”), Swedish grov (“rough, coarse, crude”).

Meanings

1. having a rough, surly, and harsh demeanor and nature.
2. hoarse-voiced.
   • a gruff woman
3. hoarse.
   • a gruff voice

Forms

Deriveds

gruffly · gruffish · gruffness · gruffy · ungruff

Translations (36)

es ronco (hoarse-voiced) · gl rouco (hoarse-voiced) · ga dorrga (rough-, surly-natured) · is hás (hoarse-voiced) · ro aspru (rough-, surly-natured) · cs drsný (hoarse-voiced) · is rámur (hoarse-voiced) · it burbero (rough-, surly-natured) · cs drsný (rough-, surly-natured) · bg груб (rough-, surly-natured) · es hosco (rough-, surly-natured) · ro grosolan (rough-, surly-natured) · es áspero (rough-, surly-natured) · nl lomp (rough-, surly-natured) · ru хри́плый (hoarse-voiced) · it rauco (hoarse-voiced) · fr bourru (rough-, surly-natured) · ru неприве́тливый (rough-, surly-natured) · fr rauque (hoarse-voiced) · ru гру́бый (hoarse-voiced) · pdt ruch (rough-, surly-natured) · nl grof (rough-, surly-natured) · cs nevrlý (rough-, surly-natured) · ro răgușit (hoarse-voiced) · izh kommia (hoarse-voiced) · ga garg (hoarse-voiced) · bg рязък (rough-, surly-natured) · mi ngākaukawa (rough-, surly-natured) · ru серди́тый (rough-, surly-natured) · cs chraplavý (hoarse-voiced) · bg прегракнал (hoarse-voiced) · bg дрезгав (hoarse-voiced) · pt rouco (hoarse-voiced) · es fosco (rough-, surly-natured) · ru гру́бый (rough-, surly-natured) · cs odměřený (rough-, surly-natured)

gruff en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ɡɹʊf/ (Northern-England)
• /ɡɹɐf/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /ɡɹʌf/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

16th century, from Dutch grof and/or Middle Low German grof (both “rough, coarse, rude”), from Old Dutch *grof or Old Saxon *grof, both from Proto-West Germanic *grob, from Proto-Germanic *grubaz (“coarse, rough”), possibly from an earlier *gahrubaz and then related with *hreubaz (“scabby, rough, scrubby”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian groaf (“rough, coarse, crude”), West Frisian grof (“rough, coarse, crude”), Low German groff (“rough, coarse, crude”), German grob (“rough, coarse, crude”), Swedish grov (“rough, coarse, crude”).

Meanings

1. To speak gruffly.
   • “Who gave you that?” replied my father angrily. “Did you bribe someone?” “No,” I told him. “It was a gift, from some people who really want me to be on this trip.” “Fine,” he gruffed. 2001, Benny Hinn, He Touched Me: An Autobiography:

Forms

gruff en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɡɹʊf/ (Northern-England)
• /ɡɹɐf/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /ɡɹʌf/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative spelling of grough (“gully in a moor”).
   alt of grough
   • They roost [...] in peaty gruffs and drainage channels, and on moorland tracks and sheep- walks, […] 1935, British Birds: An Illustrated Magazine Devoted to the Birds, page 231:
   • […] the body […] was found in a 'gruff' or gully about three-quarters of a mile from the Poacher's Leap. 1926, Emmuska Orczy, Unravelled Knots, page 386:
   • They found Uttley's body on the bottom of the gruff. 1903 August 29, Yorkshire Evening Post, page 6, quoted in the English Dialect Dictionary
   • […] Yorkshire and Derbyshire, where [...] the ordinary sportsman has to go "gruffing," as it is called, to game game, i. e., stealing up the "gruffs" or gullies and undulations in the ground, and trying all the clumps of long old twisted heather and broken bogs. […] the open places on the moor, and thus driving the birds forward to deep lying bogs and "gruffs" […] 1888, Recreation: A Monthly Exponent of the Higher Literature, page 228:

Forms

gruff en · ADJ · etymology 3

Pronunciation

• /ɡɹʊf/ (Northern-England)
• /ɡɹɐf/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /ɡɹʌf/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Perhaps related to Dutch grof (“rough, coarse”).

Meanings

1. (British, India) Of goods: bulky.
   • […] articles that usually compose the gruff cargoes of our outward bound shipping. 1765, John Zephaniah Holwell, Interesting Historical Events..., page 194:
   • […] which by causing a great export of rice enhances the price of labour, and consequently of all other gruff, piece-goods and raw silk […] quoted in 1869, James Long, Selections from Unpublished Records of Government... (page 171)