Gruff vs Affable - What's the difference?
gruff | affable |
having a rough, surly, and harsh demeanor and nature.
hoarse-voiced.
To speak gruffly.
* 2001 , Benny Hinn, He Touched Me: An Autobiography
Receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; friendly, courteous, sociable.
* 1912 : James Burrill Angell, , chapter ix "Mission To The Ottoman Empire"
Mild; benign.
* 1998 : Alexia Maria Kosmider, Tricky Tribal Discourse , page 84
As adjectives the difference between gruff and affable
is that gruff is having a rough, surly, and harsh demeanor and nature while affable is receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; friendly, courteous, sociable.As a verb gruff
is to speak gruffly.gruff
English
Adjective
(er)Quotations
* 1727' "The manner of it was more after the pleasing Transports of those ancient Poets you are often charm'd with, than after the fierce unsociable way of modern Zealots; those starch'd '''gruff Gentlemen, who guard Religion as Bullys to a Mistress, and give us the while a very indifferent Opinion of their Lady's Merit, and their own Wit, by adoring what they neither allow to be inspected by others, nor care themselves to examine in a fair light." — Anthony Ashley Cooper Shaftesbury. ''Characteristicks of men, manners, opinions, times . Vol II. p218 * 1729' "They had no Titles of Honour among them, but such as denoted some Bodily Strength or Perfection, as such an one ''the Tall'', such an one ''the Stocky'', such an one the '''Gruff ." — Joseph Addison, Richard Steele. ''The Spectator. Vol VI, No 433. p146 * 1825' "Mr. Suberville, as well as she, surprised and pleased at this proof of politeness so unsuited to his gouty appearance and '''gruff manners, looked at him in astonishment, but were sorry to perceive him stoop down as if he had strained his leg in the exertion, while the pain it caused seemed to have driven every drop of his blood into his sallow face." — Thomas Colley Grattan. ''High-ways and by-ways. Vol III. p209-10Derived terms
* gruffly * gruffnessVerb
(en verb)- “Who gave you that?” replied my father angrily. “Did you bribe someone?” “No,” I told him. “It was a gift, from some people who really want me to be on this trip.” “Fine,” he gruffed .
affable
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- Furthermore, I may say, that the Sultan was always most affable to me in my interviews with him, even when I had to discuss some missionary questions. In fact, I never saw any traces of the difficulties which Mr. Terrell reported.
- During more affable weather, the four friends congregate outside, sometimes leaning their hickory chairs against a "catapa" tree...