Brusque and surly and forbidding:
— Gruff manner.
— A gruff reply.

synonyms: crusty, curmudgeonly, ill-humored, ill-humoured.

Roget 895: discourteous, uncourteous^†; uncourtly^†; ill-bred, ill-mannered, ill-behaved, ill-conditioned; unbred; unmannerly, unmannered; impolite, unpolite^†; unpolished, uncivilized, ungenteel; ungentleman-like, ungentlemanly; unladylike; blackguard; vulgar etc. 851; dedecorous^†; foul-mouthed foul-spoken; abusive.    uncivil, ungracious, unceremonious; cool; pert, forward, obtrusive, impudent, rude, saucy, precocious.    repulsive; uncomplaisant^†, unaccommodating, unneighborly, ungallant; inaffable^†; ungentle, ungainly; rough, rugged, bluff, blunt, gruff; churlish, boorish, bearish; brutal, brusque; stern, harsh, austere; cavalier.    taint, sour, crabbed, sharp, short, trenchant, sarcastic, biting, doggish, caustic, virulent, bitter, acrimonious, venomous, contumelious; snarling etc. v.; surly, surly as a bear; perverse; grim, sullen etc. 901.1; peevish etc. (irascible) 901.    untactful, impolitic, undiplomatic; artless etc. 703; ... show more

Roget 408: resounding etc. v.; resonant, reverberant, tinnient^†, tintinnabulary; sonorous, booming, deep-toned, deep-sounding, deep-mouthed, vibrant; hollow, sepulchral; gruff etc. (harsh) 410.    ... show more

Deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion:
— Gruff voices.
— The dog's gruff barking.

synonyms: hoarse, husky.

Roget 410: creaking etc. v.; stridulous^†, harsh, coarse, hoarse, horrisonous^†, rough, gruff, grum^†, sepulchral, hollow.    sharp, high, acute, shrill; trumpet-toned; piercing, ear-piercing, high-pitched, high-toned; cracked; discordant etc. 414; cacophonous.    ... show more

Polish: chropawy, chropowaty, szorstki