grumble
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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)
noun
-
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
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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
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Secret Water"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
Private credit investors may grumble, as some funds prorate redemption requests.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
In a flash, the journalist is gone, leaving Gustav to grumble, “TikTok troll.”
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
His grumble was about more than my sartorial choices.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025
And then hers would grumble, Yeah, or maybe a Ritz cracker with peanut butter.
From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate
Our cranky polity now grumbles its way toward its 250th anniversary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
“These people believe that you take the scab off of a wound and take it off again and again until something miraculous happens,” Boritt grumbles to the camera.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
If they don't, there may be internal grumbles that leader Sir Ed Davey isn't doing enough to make the most of their 72 MPs.
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 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
He grumbles and sits on the floor pillow across from me.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Hockney grumbled constantly about the iron grip of draconian forces in America: in particular the new lack of tolerance for public smoking.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
But they made the needed adjustments, grumbled, and kept spending.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Some of the criticism may be filtering up to the president, who has grumbled that Iran is still throttling most shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026
"It's certainly not gotten any better. It's actually gotten much worse," he grumbled.
From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026
Clare's face turned pink, and she grumbled, “Whatever,” under her breath.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
It's hot, everyone's grumbling and nobody in your house can sleep - which means summer has officially arrived.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
For all the grumbling and negative news, AI is making strides in the business world. surveys of CIOs and CEOs consistently show that companies plan to spend more on AI this year and next.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Molina plays Sam Cooper, a retired engineer — that will be important — being brought grumbling to the Boroughs, a posh, city-sized retirement community plopped down in the middle of the Southwestern desert.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
There’s been a lot of folks grumbling that the Fed is too data dependent and should use more forward-looking indicators.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
At once, Shomari stopped struggling and stood at attention, grumbling something unintelligible.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
