harrumph

[ huh-ruhmf ]

verb (used without object)
  1. to clear the throat audibly in a self-important manner: The professor harrumphed good-naturedly.

  2. to express oneself gruffly.

Origin of harrumph

1
First recorded in 1935–40; imitative

Words Nearby harrumph

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How to use harrumph in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for harrumph

harrumph

/ (həˈrʌmf) /


verb
  1. (intr) to clear or make the noise of clearing the throat

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012