Gruff

Pronunciation: /ɡrʌf/

Definitions of gruff

adjective harsh or stern in manner or appearance

Example Sentences

A1 The gruff man at the store scared me.

A2 The gruff teacher always yelled at us.

B1 Despite his gruff exterior, he was actually quite kind.

B2 The gruff boss demanded perfection from his employees.

C1 His gruff demeanor often intimidated those around him.

C2 The gruff detective had a no-nonsense approach to solving cases.

Examples of gruff in a Sentence

formal The professor had a gruff demeanor, but he was actually quite approachable once you got to know him.

informal The gruff security guard wouldn't let anyone into the building without proper identification.

slang The gruff bartender told us to keep it down or we'd be kicked out of the bar.

figurative Despite his gruff exterior, deep down he was a kind and caring person.

Grammatical Forms of gruff

• past tense: gruffed
• plural: gruffs
• comparative: gruffer
• superlative: gruffest
• present tense: gruffs
• future tense: will gruff
• perfect tense: have gruffed
• continuous tense: is gruffing
• singular: gruff
• positive degree: gruff
• infinitive: to gruff
• gerund: gruffing
• participle: gruffed

Origin and Evolution of gruff

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'gruff' originated from Middle English 'gruf' which is possibly of imitative origin, mimicking the sound of a harsh or rough voice.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'gruff' has retained its original meaning of rough or harsh in tone, but has also come to be used to describe someone who is brusque or blunt in manner.