Craig Brown

How I hate the Beautiful Game! I hate its cry-baby players and its gruff, joyless managers, its blokish supporters and its sinister owners, its whistle-peeping referees and its chippy little linesmen, its excitable commentators and - perhaps most of all - its unpluggable 'analysts.

English Critic

Kirk Gibson

There was a perception of me, and I earned it because I was really intense, really gruff. I treated certain people poorly at times. It was because of who I was. It was almost my strength. I came in all business. I tried to find ways to fit in with that demeanor, but it's not easy.

American Athlete

Mike Farrell

My father was a gruff Irishman who was unable to express feelings and always insisted we be tough. Being a parent, for me, means creating what I didn't have. I want my children to feel love and be able to express it.

American Actor

Benjamin Booker

Blind Willie Johnson is a pretty big vocal influence. He can be very harsh, like gargly, gruff vocals, but also just slip into some very delicate, vulnerable soft stuff. I like that combination.

American Musician

Marianne Williamson

I have a gruff side. This is not exactly news... At the same time, anyone who wants to judge me for this can walk a mile in my moccasins. And then we'll talk.

American Author

MaryJanice Davidson

I'm a sucker for the big, gruff, distant, emotionally closed-off hero who sloooowly warms up to the feisty, awesome, sweet heroine.

Michael Cudlitz

I don't know if I would be a good cop. As gruff as I come off, I take things very emotionally.

Salman Rushdie

My grandmother was very fierce and gruff. She was quite small, but she was very wide.

Indian Novelist

Charley Pride

Redd Foxx was the same gruff old codger you saw on television.

Brigitte Bardot

French Actress

Gruff voice can signify annoyance or lack of patience, be mindful of the emotional context.

Emotion Indicator

Someone's gruff voice might be their natural tone, not connected to their mood or manners.

Not Always Angry

In stories, a gruff voice often characterizes a person as tough or rugged.

Indicative of Characters

A gruff manner may not mean a person is unfriendly; it can be just a blunt or direct way of speaking.

Not Necessarily Hostile

Gruffness can be perceived differently across cultures; in some, directness is valued over politeness.

Cultural Perception

A gruff exterior doesn't always reflect someone's true feelings or personality.

Can Be Misleading

A gruff as a noun can show discomfort or disapproval without using words.

Depicts Discomfort

A gruff might be used to depict someone exerting effort or overcoming an obstacle.

Shows Effort or Struggle

 There are people who are gruff and tough on the surface but underneath have others' best interests at heart. Or as an engineer put it, "Oh, disagreeable givers -- like somebody with a bad user interface but a great operating system." If that helps you.

Are you a giver or a...

 gruff and they're they're not nice and but you know I didn't find that I found I could go shake people's hand and you know I found them very nice there were a few gruff people that I ran into but it wasn't I would not say it's a trait

New York Culture PIPE Sue...

 fur with a distinctive white gruff around their necks and piercing yellowy orange eyes they have the second loudest call of any primate and use their long nimble tails to help them balance in the