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Gruff vs Brash - What's the difference?

gruff | brash |

As adjectives the difference between gruff and brash

is that gruff is having a rough, surly, and harsh demeanor and nature while brash is impetuous or rash or brash can be (us|colloquial|dated) brittle, as wood or vegetables.

As a verb gruff

is to speak gruffly.

As a noun brash is

leaf litter of small leaves and little twigs as found under a hedge.

gruff

English

Adjective

(er)
  • having a rough, surly, and harsh demeanor and nature.
  • hoarse-voiced.

    • 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. p209-10

    Derived terms

    * gruffly * gruffness

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To speak gruffly.
  • * 2001 , Benny Hinn, He Touched Me: An Autobiography
    • “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 .
    ----

    brash

    English

    Etymology 1

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • impetuous or rash
    • (Grose)
  • insensitive or tactless
  • impudent or shameless

    • Noun

  • Leaf litter of small leaves and little twigs as found under a hedge.
  • A rash or eruption; a sudden or transient fit of sickness.
  • (geology) Broken and angular rock fragments underlying alluvial deposits.
    • (Lyell)
  • Broken fragments of ice.
    • (Kane)
    Derived terms
    * water brash * weaning brash

    Etymology 2

    Compare Amer. (bresk), (brusk), fragile, brittle.

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • (US, colloquial, dated) brittle, as wood or vegetables
    • (Bartlett)
    (Webster 1913) ----