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
"They're showing them something that's no longer here," he grumbled.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 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
Brokers had grumbled for years that the rule was too heavy-handed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
“Do you have any idea how long this took to make?” he grumbled.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
