harrumph
Americanverb (used without object)
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to clear the throat audibly in a self-important manner.
The professor harrumphed good-naturedly.
-
to express oneself gruffly.
verb
Etymology
Origin of harrumph
First recorded in 1935–40; imitative
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.
"Trousers," exclaims the Prince Andrew character, with a fruity harrumph, as though taken aback by a female interviewer wearing trousers.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2024
That number started dropping in the 1980s and has fallen since, prompting old-timers to harrumph at what slackers these lazy kids are.
From Washington Post • Jun. 28, 2021
More stingily, you could turn to Fran Lebowitz’s first essay collection, “Metropolitan Life,” which includes a three-paragraph harrumph titled “Clothes with Pictures and/or Writing on Them: Yes—Another Complaint.”
From The New Yorker • Jun. 21, 2018
The running game: Patriots fans and stat analysts are conditioned to harrumph at worries about the running game.
From Slate • Sep. 8, 2016
He didn’t point out who was who, or I missed it, so I stood there confused until the tall, skinny woman with glasses gave a small harrumph and waved at her partner.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
