grumble
verb (used without object)
to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly.
were grumbling
-
past progressiveof grumble.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The mountains of mail had piled up and troops were grumbling about lost letters and delayed care packages.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 12, 2021
We were grumbling about music and someone said: “Why don’t we get together and play like we used to?”
From The Guardian ● Aug. 14, 2017
Meanwhile, city officials were grumbling to each other about the company’s management.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2017
Last week, the players were grumbling about Goodell’s high-handed treatment of Harrison and several others accused of doping in a since-discredited Al Jazeera report.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 31, 2016
The babies and parents were grumbling, but softly enough that none of the humans could hear.
From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate
