adjective

hoarse

HORS/hɔːrs/

Having a rough or raspy voice or vocal sound.

The man's hoarse voice strains as he speaks and touches his throat.

A man pauses while trying to speak, gently touching his throat with a strained expression; a plain mug of warm water nearby suggests care for an irritated voice.

Etymology

Old English hās already described this voice quality. Its ancestry may originally have conveyed “dried out, rough,” suggesting a possible connection between physical roughness and the rough sound of the voice.

In context

Doctor O'Donovan1:45

barking cough that's further aggravated by crying and coughing as well as anxiety agitation and that sets up a cycle of worsening symptoms they can also have a fever a hoarse voice and breathing that can be noisy or labored

Doctor explains Croup with real example of Croup sounds! | Barking Cough in children

More examples

I get hoarse when I cheer too loudly.
He answers the phone in a hoarse whisper.
My voice grows hoarser the longer I talk.

Forms

hoarse · hoarser · hoarsest

hoarseness noun — The rough, raspy quality of a voice.

hoarsely adverb — In a rough or raspy voice.

Similar words

raspy: Emphasizes a scratchy, grating sound rather than vocal strain.
husky: Describes a low, rough voice, sometimes with an appealing quality.