gruffly
In harsh tones
Gruffly describes speaking or behaving in a rough, brusque manner—with a low, harsh voice or curt demeanor: He gruffly dismissed the suggestion.
The word suggests someone who is short-tempered or impatient, though gruffness sometimes masks underlying warmth: The old man gruffly agreed to help.
Uneven in surface
husky · gravelly · coarse · grating · growling · rumbling · barking · scratchy
Abruptly rude in speech
- bluntDull or tactlessly direct
- abruptSharp and unexpected
- terseBrief to bluntness
- snappyQuick and clever
sharp · offhand · curtly · shortly · clipped · dismissive · impatient · brisk
Bad-tempered and unfriendly
- sullenSilently bad-tempered
- boorishCrudely ill-mannered
- churlishIll-mannered and rude
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
crusty · curmudgeonly · crabby · grumpy · tetchy · peevish · irascible · ill-tempered
In a severe manner
- severelyIn a harsh manner
- firmlyWith steadfast resolve
- authoritativelyWith confident expertise
- seriouslyWith sincere intent
gravely · soberly · unsmilingly · forbiddingly · austerely · coldly · stiffly · rigidly
rough
Uneven in surface
throaty · husky · gravelly · coarse · grating · growling · rumbling · barking · scratchy · croaky
curt
Abruptly rude in speech
snappy · sharp · offhand · curtly · shortly · clipped · dismissive · impatient · brisk · taciturn
surly
Bad-tempered and unfriendly
cantankerous · crusty · curmudgeonly · crabby · grumpy · tetchy · peevish · irascible · ill-tempered · bad-tempered
sternly
In a severe manner
- severelyIn a harsh manner
- firmlyWith steadfast resolve
- authoritativelyWith confident expertise
seriously · gravely · soberly · unsmilingly · forbiddingly · austerely · coldly · stiffly · rigidly · imperiously