grumble
Americanverb (used without object)
-
grumbles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grumbled,
past participle, past
-
grumbling
present participle
-
to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly.
Tim always found something to grumble about.
-
to utter low, indistinct sounds; growl.
Suddenly I heard my stomach grumble, and realized I hadn't had any lunch.
-
to rumble.
The thunder grumbled in the west.
verb (used with object)
-
grumbles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grumbled,
past participle, past
-
grumbling
present participle
noun
-
grumbles
plural
-
an expression of discontent; complaint; unhappy murmur; growl.
-
grumbles, a grumbling, discontented mood.
-
a rumble.
verb
-
to utter (complaints) in a nagging or discontented way
-
(intr) to make low dull rumbling sounds
noun
-
a complaint; grouse
-
a low rumbling sound
Synonym Usage
See complain.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
grumblesimple
-
grumblessimple
-
have grumbledperfect
-
has grumbledperfect
-
am grumblingprogressive
-
are grumblingprogressive
-
is grumblingprogressive
-
have been grumblingperfect progressive
-
has been grumblingperfect progressive
Past
-
grumbledsimple
-
had grumbledperfect
-
was grumblingprogressive
-
were grumblingprogressive
-
had been grumblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grumble
First recorded in 1580–90; perhaps frequentative of Old English grymman “to wail”; compare Dutch grommelen, German grummeln, French grommeler (from Germanic )
Explanation
When you grumble, you complain about something clearly but quietly, in a low mutter. Some people grumble a hundred times a day, about everything from the weather to the traffic to their bad luck at bowling. The verb grumble is a great example of onomatopoeia, a word that sounds just like what it means. When you say "grumble" out loud, you're practically already grumbling about something. The origin of grumble is the Middle French word grommeler, or "mutter through the teeth." Just think about the things in life that make you want to mutter through your teeth and you'll probably start to grumble.
Vocabulary lists containing grumble
Instead of "Said": Words That Sound Like What They Mean
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Curmudgeon, Cantankerous and Churlish: Grouchy Words
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"The Secret Water"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Habaneros grumble that the money he spent turning old palaces into stunning hotels -- now empty -- was wasted.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Given the speed with which one, Darren Jones, went public with a grumble it will be something Team Burnham will be wary of.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Miners grumble that governments aren’t doing enough to encourage Western industry to make the shift away from Chinese minerals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
In a flash, the journalist is gone, leaving Gustav to grumble, “TikTok troll.”
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
After I moved it, she started to grumble.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
Yes, there have been grumbles - including from those who have seen parking spaces outside their houses taken - and taxi drivers and shop owners the Games have passed by.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
As a Roman citizen he grumbles about taxes yet knows that the state keeps the peace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
He grumbles that it’s hard to open up to someone who can already “divine your secrets at a glance.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025
"We're the same as two years ago, but worse," grumbles Hector Sanchez, a 62-year-old waiter.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025
“They were the ones who wanted to treat you differently in the first place,” Agent Magnus grumbles.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
He grumbled that his allegiance cost him professionally, but the University of London employed him consistently from 1947 onward.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Two decades ago, customers grumbled about U.S. airlines charging for checked bags, which was the start of all the unbundling that followed.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
I grumbled and complained while Delilah instantly fell in love.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
But his internal critics long privately grumbled, and more recently increasingly publicly grumbled that this amounted to him all too often not being able to articulate what he did believe.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
He grumbled to let me know I’d disturbed his nap.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
But that doesn't mean there hasn't been grumbling going on.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Still, with a buyout looming over the company’s head and its largest investor grumbling, it’s hard to see cost-cutting measures as entirely free from the influence of private equity firms.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
Group texts and chat apps have turned private grumbling into something instantly shareable, causing more disputes to escalate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
But the move risks alienating customers who already may be grumbling about the complex array of ticket options when it comes time to book a flight.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
I waited for Jennifer to finish her grumbling because I wanted her take on my new book.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
