A gruff voice sounds low and rough. He picked up the phone expecting to hear the chairman's gruff voice. + gruffly gruff·ly `Well, never mind now,' he said gruffly
deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion; "gruff voices"; "the dog's gruff barking"; "hoarse cries"; "makes all the instruments sound powerful but husky"- Virgil Thomson
If you describe someone as gruff, you mean that they seem rather unfriendly or bad-tempered. His gruff exterior concealed one of the kindest hearts. speaking in a rough, unfriendly voice (grof)