gruff• And when he wept he was not gruff.• He was kind of gruff and all.• Dad can be gruff and impatient at times.• He mutteredgruffcompliments and showed his student how to prepare a palette.• He was an irritable old man, who seldom spoke except to say a gruff hello.• He alarmed us as children: he had a gruffmanner, a game leg and a pronouncedcast in one eye.• He stared up at the gruff old man who was so kind to him.• You listen to his gruff voice giving orders to his crew as they row him out to his ketch.• "If this happens again, '' said Dad, in a gruff voice, "I shall be extremely angry!''