HOARSE Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

hoarse

adjective

ˈhȯrs

Definition of hoarse

as in gruff

harsh and dry in sound the dying man spoke in a hoarse whisper

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hoarse The 28-year-old singer cut her Tuesday evening set short after playing only a few songs inside the Colorado city’s Ball Arena, with fan footage captured inside the venue showing Moroney speaking to fans through a hoarse voice. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026 The other was a tearing beauty, a creature so lovely that one look at her sent young men’s blood pressure skyward and set them to uttering wild, hoarse cries and tearing telephone directories apart with the bare hands. — John Madson, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026 Others walked home sunburned, hoarse and still dressed in blue and orange. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 18 June 2026 During the debate, Joe Biden frequently lost his train of thought, stumbled over answers, and appeared hoarse, fueling concerns among voters and party leaders. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hoarse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoarse

Adjective

Bob Hoskins’s gruff detective, Eddie Valiant, sees them as a sometimes-dangerous nuisance, while conniving film-studio power players see them as moneymakers, and the rest of humanity sees them as shades in between.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Scott, 88, shares the character's worldview, despite the filmmaker’s notoriously gruff exterior.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of gruff

Adjective

Tyler, after a brief recovery period, returned to the recording studio with a huskier, edgier voice.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
The extravagant, hi-NRG single showcased the breadth of Tyler’s husky grandeur, which proved a perfect fit for Giorgio Moroder.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026

Definition of husky

Adjective

Using clean hands or a pastry cutter, mash until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is coarse and crumbly.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Instead of flammable mulch like bark or wood chips, use lava stone or coarse gravel around any shrubbery that is within 5 feet of the structure.

— Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of coarse

Adjective

Byblow says earth tones will be major this season — think rusty red, forest green, burnt orange, and chocolate brown.

— Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
Yet these survivors are so hard-wired to be fearful of their neighbors that Hig and Cima’s rusty, tentative flirtation takes place under the gaze of her daddy’s gun, a heck of a chaperone.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of rusty

Browse Nearby Words

hoariness

hoarse

hoary

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“Hoarse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoarse. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hoarse

adjective

Example Sentences

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