gruffest
Harshest in manner
Gruffest is the superlative of gruff—the roughest, most abrupt in manner or voice.
Someone with the gruffest demeanor speaks curtly, perhaps with a low, harsh tone: Even the gruffest sergeant softened around the new recruits.
The word often implies that beneath the rough exterior lies unexpected warmth.
Rough in voice
- raspyRough and grating
- gutturalProduced in throat
- croakyRough-sounding, like illness
- scratchyRough and irritating
throaty · husky · growly · gravelly · grumbling · rumbling · deep · rough
Strict or ship's aft
- brusqueAbrupt and dismissive
- curtAbruptly rude in speech
- surlyBad-tempered and unfriendly
- grumpyIrritable in temperament
cantankerous · curmudgeonly · crusty · bearish · blunt · abrupt · short-tempered · irritable
Conveying threat or danger
- formidableInspiring fear or respect
- imposingImpressively grand in scale
- fearsomeCausing intense alarm
- dauntingDiscouraging through difficulty
threatening · scowling · glowering · fierce · severe · steely · hard-bitten · hardened
Emotionally withdrawn, uninviting
- coldLow temperature state
- distantFar away or aloof
- unapproachableImpossible to access or befriend
- inhospitableUnwelcoming, harsh to visitors
unsociable · withdrawn · frosty · chilly · standoffish · unwelcoming · forbidding · hostile
hoarse
Rough in voice
scratchy · throaty · husky · growly · gravelly · grumbling · rumbling · deep · rough · barking
stern
Strict or ship's aft
grumpy · cantankerous · curmudgeonly · crusty · bearish · blunt · abrupt · short-tempered · irritable · impatient
menacing
Conveying threat or danger
- formidableInspiring fear or respect
- imposingImpressively grand in scale
- fearsomeCausing intense alarm
daunting · threatening · scowling · glowering · fierce · severe · steely · hard-bitten · hardened · weathered
aloof
Emotionally withdrawn, uninviting
- coldLow temperature state
- distantFar away or aloof
- unapproachableImpossible to access or befriend
inhospitable · unsociable · withdrawn · frosty · chilly · standoffish · unwelcoming · forbidding · hostile · disagreeable
weathered
Eroded by exposure
- rough-hewnCoarsely cut, left unsmoothed
- craggyRough with rocky projections
- leatheryResembling animal hide
grizzled · unkempt · shaggy · bearded · burly · stocky · barrel-chested · outdoorsy · woodsman · sea captain