: a thin growth of beard : stubble
He's lean, and not too tall, with spiky hair, scruff on his chin, and a deep voice.—
Margot Cleary
Margot ClearyThe uniform isn't so much suit and tie as it is plaid shirt, work boots, and two-day scruff.—Laura Regensdorf
Laura RegensdorfExamples of scruff in a Sentence
Noun (1)
She held the kitten by the scruff of its neck.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Men's Grooming Kit Gift Set This four-piece gift includes a 4-ounce face wash, a 4-ounce beard and scruff cream, a 1.5-ounce beard oil, and a dry brush.
—Christina Shepherd McGuire, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2024
His father’s hand is on the dog’s scruff, and his father, too, is grinning.
—Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
Royal watchers were shocked because William hadn't been seen with scruff since the royal family's Christmas Day church outing in 2008 — 16 years prior.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scruff 
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.
Noun
There’s a new promo picture going around showing a Dusty Milligan with facial hair (see: above) — and listen, not to besmirch his infinity-pool jawline, but the dude looks so much better with that scruff.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Men's Grooming Kit Gift Set This four-piece gift includes a 4-ounce face wash, a 4-ounce beard and scruff cream, a 1.5-ounce beard oil, and a dry brush.
—Christina Shepherd McGuire, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2024
His father’s hand is on the dog’s scruff, and his father, too, is grinning.
—Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024
Royal watchers were shocked because William hadn't been seen with scruff since the royal family's Christmas Day church outing in 2008 — 16 years prior.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scruff
Dictionary Entries Near scruff
Cite this Entry
“Scruff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scruff. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share