grumble
verb (used without object)
to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly.
grumbled
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past participleof grumble.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof grumble.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
grumbleverb (used without object)to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly.
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.
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
Rep. Cyrus King of Massachusetts grumbled that Jefferson’s collection included “irreligious and immoral books” and complained that the funds could be spent for “purposes more indispensable than the purchase of a library.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 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
Flopping onto my stomach, I gripped my pillow and grumbled.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
