schroff

/ʃʁɔf/

adjective B1

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

Meaning

curt, gruff, brusque; steep, rugged (of terrain)
- Er antwortete schroff und ging weiter.
  
  He answered curtly and walked on.

Similar words

schroff also separately describes steep, rugged terrain; barsch specifically describes a gruff, curt personality — close synonyms for the personality sense.

Similar in other languages

English

short

Close, figuratively — curt, gruff relates to short (brusque).

Spanish

conciso

Close — concise relates to curt, gruff, brusque (schroff).

Practice

1 What does schroff mean?

2 Fill the gap: Er antwortete ___ und ging weiter.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches schroff?

Synonyms

barsch

adjective

Last updated 2026-09-21