Dictionary

gruffly en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English gruff Middle English -ly English -ly English gruffly From gruff + -ly.

Meanings

1. In a gruff manner.
   • Bradly squatted on the flat rock to wash his legs, saying gruffly to Podson, "Better wash that dam' mud off; it sticks like hell when it's dry." 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 66:
   • He was bearded, blunt, thickset, and he wore gold-rimmed spectacles. In his bourrue-bienfaisance, in his honesty, and in his brusque insuavity towards such as would compel his sympathy without justification, he was the very type of the dogmatic family doctor—of the gruffly practical allopathist of the old school. 1898, Bernard Capes, A True Princess:
   • 'Hey, what's that?' he exclaimed gruffly, staring searchingly at her as he took her hand. 1956 [1880], Johanna Spyri, Heidi, translation of original by Eileen Hall, page 48:

Forms