1 grumble | Definition of grumble

grumble

verb
grum·​ble | \ ˈgrəm-bəl How to pronounce grumble (audio) \
grumbled; grumbling\ ˈgrəm-​b(ə-​)liŋ How to pronounce grumbling (audio) \

Definition of grumble

intransitive verb

1 : to mutter in discontent grumbled about the scarcity of jobs
2 : growl, rumble Thunder grumbled in the distance.

transitive verb

: to express with grumbling grumbled his annoyance

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Other Words from grumble

grumble noun
grumbler \ ˈgrəm-​b(ə-​)lər How to pronounce grumbler (audio) \ noun
grumblingly \ ˈgrəm-​b(ə-​)liŋ-​lē How to pronounce grumblingly (audio) \ adverb
grumbly \ ˈgrəm-​b(ə-​)lē How to pronounce grumbly (audio) \ adjective

Examples of grumble in a Sentence

There's been a lot of grumbling among the employees. Some of the customers have been grumbling about poor service. Fans grumbled about the team's poor play. “When are we going to leave?” he grumbled. We could hear thunder grumbling in the distance.
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Recent Examples on the Web

That according to no less an evaluator than defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales, who is notoriously hard to please and grumbled about plenty after a 30-7 win over Kent State. Jeff Metcalfe, azcentral, "ASU defense loses shutout but benefits from new punting star Michael Turk," 30 Aug. 2019 That doesn’t mean Max doesn’t grumble at times during the HBO series. Chuck Barney, The Mercury News, "‘Hard Knocks’: Series has extra meaning for ex-Raider’s son," 26 Aug. 2019 The change left many agents grumbling that the Border Patrol had gone soft. A.c. Thompson, ProPublica, "“Dirtbag,” “Savages,” “Subhuman”: A Border Agent’s Hateful Career and the Crime That Finally Ended It," 16 Aug. 2019 At Nissan, where many Japanese employees grumble that foreigners are promoted faster and paid better, some talk darkly of an attempt by old-timers to return the company to its roots and eject foreigners. Nick Kostov, WSJ, "‘I Found This Very, Very Violent.’ Carlos Ghosn’s Arrest Tests Nissan-Renault Relationship," 22 Nov. 2018 Prince’s grumbling supposition of anger and blame expressed the last days of the Obama era, when facts of black demoralization were left unaddressed. Armond White, National Review, "The Baltimore Culture Wars: A History," 31 July 2019 With the plastic canopy cinched down and the LT-5 grumbling at idle, the Corvette Indy feels more like a fighter plane than a car, pretty much what its designers had in mind. Tony Swan, Popular Mechanics, "A Closer Look at Chevy's Mid-Engine Corvette...From 1988?," 19 July 2019 Conservatives and budget hawks immediately grumbled about new spending and the elimination of the 2011 caps known as sequestration, an effort to limit federal spending. Los Angeles Times, "In forging a budget deal, Pelosi found a Trump official she can work with," 2 Aug. 2019 Mr Rosselló might also have found ways to assuage voters who grumbled that his government presided over nepotism and corruption. A.r. | Chicago, The Economist, "The resignation of Ricardo Rosselló," 25 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grumble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of grumble

1580, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

History and Etymology for grumble

probably from Middle French grommeler, ultimately from Middle Dutch grommen; akin to Old High German grimm grim

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More Definitions for grumble

grumble

verb

English Language Learners Definition of grumble

: to complain quietly about something : to talk in an unhappy way
: to make a low, heavy sound

grumble

verb
grum·​ble | \ ˈgrəm-bəl How to pronounce grumble (audio) \
grumbled; grumbling

Kids Definition of grumble

 (Entry 1 of 2)