Wordul · all words

adjective · 1 syllable · /ɡrʌf/

GRUFF

What does "GRUFF" mean?

Rough or abrupt in manner or speech, though often not unkind at heart.

Meanings

  1. Brusque and curt in tone or temper. The gruff old sailor warmed up after the second cup of tea.
  2. Of a voice, deep and hoarse. He answered in a gruff voice thick with sleep.

Word origin

From Dutch or Low German 'grof' meaning coarse or thick, related to German 'grob'; entered English in the sixteenth century describing coarse texture before shifting to manner.

Remember it

GRUFF is rough with its spelling swapped: a hard double-F like a throat clearing twice.

A little poem

His 'morning' lands like a slammed-shut drawer,
yet he salts the porch before you reach the door.

couplet

Wordplay

  • Why did the troll in the fairy tale apologize? He realized he'd been a little gruff with the billy goats.

What it teaches

Gruff is a thick coat over a warm room: judge the doorway and you miss the fire.

Quick facts

What does GRUFF mean?

Rough or abrupt in manner or speech, though often not unkind at heart.

Is GRUFF a valid word?

Yes — GRUFF is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is GRUFF?

GRUFF has 5 letters and 1 syllable.

Where does GRUFF come from?

From Dutch or Low German 'grof' meaning coarse or thick, related to German 'grob'; entered English in the sixteenth century describing coarse texture before shifting to manner.

What can GRUFF teach us?

Gruff is a thick coat over a warm room: judge the doorway and you miss the fire.

How players do

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