harrumph
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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
It’s part of the game, and for Murphy to harrumph about it bespeaks a degree of ignorance or arrogance fully deserving of the Europeans’ derision and scorn.
From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2019
You’ve got to work Black Friday and Cyber Monday, harrumph.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 22, 2018
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
Soheil lets out a noise somewhere between a harrumph and a loud exhale.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
