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:
The swings in focus and the message that those changes send about what makes a “good school” is part of why every year higher-education leaders grumble about the outsized influence of the rankings.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
"My fingers may fumble, my mouth may mumble and each step I take may result in a stumble. But I cannot grumble."
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 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
Kelton and I grumble and moan about it, trying to filter our whole experience with Henry through this new lens, and decide it’s not worth it.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
As a Roman citizen he grumbles about taxes yet knows that the state keeps the peace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
You can imagine the first misplaced pass by Spurs, they will blame it on Frank, and those grumbles will only grow as the game goes on.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026
"We're the same as two years ago, but worse," grumbles Hector Sanchez, a 62-year-old waiter.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025
Some might say the Goodison Park grumbles which accompanied Sean Dyche's final days as Everton boss are in stark contrast to the partisan passion on show under David Moyes' resurgent side.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2025
“My only complaint is that my stomach grumbles all the time.”
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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
"This is not a life," one of the relocated mothers grumbled.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Dozer and Petunia grumbled at the mention of Duke’s name.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
But that doesn't mean there hasn't been grumbling going on.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 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
Back on Tasman Drive, tourists excitedly posed for pictures next to a speed bump sign as a grumbling resident glared at them.
From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026
Macron also weighed in the president’s grumbling about leaving NATO.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026
After we'd learned to put them together so the heart wasn't tangled in the intestines and the lungs didn't face the spine, Mundín commenced grumbling.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
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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.
