Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To complain in a surly manner; mutter discontentedly: "The governed will always find something to grumble about” ( Crane Brinton).
- v. To rumble or growl.
- v. To express in a grumbling discontented manner: grumbled a rude response.
- n. A muttered complaint.
- n. A rumble; a growl.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To make a low rumbling sound; mutter; growl.
- To complain in a low, surly voice; murmur with discontent.
- Synonyms To complain, repine, croak.
- To express or utter in a grumbling or complaining manner.
- n. The act of grumbling; a grumbling speech or remark.
- n. A surly person.
- n. plural A grumbling, discontented mood; a fit of the spleen.
Wiktionary
- n. onomatopoeia A low thundering, rumbling or growling sound
- n. The sound made by a hungry stomach
- n. A complaint
- v. intransitive To make a low, growling or rumbling noise, like a hungry stomach or certain animals.
- v. intransitive To complain.
- v. transitive To utter in a grumbling fashion.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To murmur or mutter with discontent; to make ill-natured complaints in a low voice and a surly manner.
- v. To growl; to snarl in deep tones.
- v. To rumble; to make a low, harsh, and heavy sound; to mutter.
- v. To express or utter with grumbling.
- n. The noise of one that grumbles.
- n. A grumbling, discontented disposition.
WordNet 3.0
- v. make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath
- n. a complaint uttered in a low and indistinct tone
- n. a loud low dull continuous noise
- v. make a low noise
- v. to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
- v. show one's unhappiness or critical attitude
Etymologies
- Probably from Middle French grommeler, from Middle Dutch grommen (modern Dutch grommelen). Cognate with grim. (Wiktionary)
- Probably Dutch grommelen, to mutter, from Middle Dutch, frequentative of grommen. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Strike "is purely coincidental" * grumble grumble edit function grumble*”
Associated Press: Pet Owners Prefer McCain To "Petless" Obama
“Ai tellz again…NO DISSASEMBLE mai cheezurgerz….nao i has puts togevers…stoopy humin making me wastes cheezburger nommin tymes. grumble grumble*”
ur cheezburgers - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
“I didn't get my nap in. * grumble grumble* Should go get some now. just you & me”
“HIMYM and House just barely make up for no Chuck * grumble grumble*.”
“Not that this really concerns most of you out there because you don't have CR accounts * grumble grumble*”
“My strikethroughs looked right in preview. * grumble grumble*”
“This past week I had 'make-up' conferences, for the ones canceled last week (* grumble grumble*).”
“September 22, 2008 at 8:51 am grumble grumble ….. stoopee bankz loaning munneez 2 peepz so dey kin buying howzez wen dey kant eben afford 2 buying gas…… grumble grumble …mebbee if deh oil kumpaneez didnt b getting awl ower munneez, peepz kud afford deh morgij paymintz…..grumble grumble …. mebbee deh oil kumpaneez shud bailing owt deh bankz……grumble grumble…… stoopee pawleetishunz letting fingz git so owtta kuntrol…. grumble grumble …poyntin finners at ee chudderz adn duin nuffin …. grumble grumble …..”
U need - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
“* grumble grumble grumble* higher learning can kiss my newly brown sugar exfoliated ass. oh - on the upswing, I spotted a cute neighbor moving in today ...”
“* grumble grumble snobby fanboys overpriced grumble grumble*”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘grumble’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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Talk Talk
Words for Talking
( open list, randomness )squawk, gab, chatter, chitchat, blab, prattle, blather, discuss, hector, plead, cajole, harangue and 200 more...
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SMILE and other emotive verbs
Single verbs that describe expression or emotional reaction. "He __ed" (smiled/gulped/scoffed...)
smile, beam, sneer, scoff, giggle, laugh, snigger, scowl, grin, leer, wince, grimace and 97 more...
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Sounds
words that describe sound
atchoo, atishoo, babble, bam, bay, beep, blast, blather, bleat, bleep, blip, bong and 242 more...
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sound (quiet)
words for quiet sounds
( randomness, descriptive )sigh, murmur, whisper, whir, rustle, patter, hum, snap, hiss(sss), crackle, bleat, peep and 185 more...
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EN-HU - important words for a HU inte...
Words only (I left out the expressions) from Geza Kerenyi's EN-HU interpreters' dictionary. Most of them pose some difficulty when interpreted between HU and EN in either or both directions.
abalone, abrasive, abstractionist, abstruse, abysmal, academia, accessibility, accessible, acclimate, accolade, accompanist, achiever and 1469 more...
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Phonestheme: GR-, the Bad Mood
Grateful credit to http://reocities.com/SoHo/Studios/9783/phond1.html.
grumble, grump, grumpy, grouch, grouchy, gruff, gripe, grouse, growl, grim, grind, grimace and 1 more...
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animal group
Names for Groups of Animals.
clever madeupicals and human groups are fine.
( open list, randomness )
also see:
swarm, herd, flock, group, pack, school, shoal, click, gang, army, colony, tribe and 63 more... -
I am : talking
"These are talking words," I announce. "You mean verbs that can be used for dialogue?" you ask. "That's right!" I agree.
say, speak, ask, declare, query, shout, yell, scream, shriek, squeal, squeak, screech and 81 more...
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portmanteaus
slithy, chortle, mimsy, galumph, maffluent, smog, motel, momentaneous, splisters, swifting, editated, splatter and 73 more...
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VNCle
N stands for 'nasal', not 'n'
pimple, bungle, spindle, handle, amble, humble, simple, dimple, winkle, tinkle, single, dingle and 53 more...
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pagecrusher's Words
fugu, ilk, rigamarole, superfluous, dearth, sacrosanct, moniker, bifurcate, villainous, onus, brazen, odin and 268 more...
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strangelyrouge's Words
glockenspiel, gewgaw, jetsam, flotsam, gripe, grab, wench, whilst, betwixt, hither, thither, yonder and 1034 more...
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The Sog Collection
My big word list.
chaos, flaccid, empirical, flotsam, cacophony, grumble, assuage, awe, romance, mortality, coalesce, fortuitous and 3282 more...
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slumry's Words
cattywampus, ingratiate, lackadaisical, exactitude, exfoliate, fulminate, circumnavigation, circuitous, debride, sidle, sequester, chicory and 1002 more...
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kingofbash's Words
bash, poleaxed, salacious, libertine, charlatan, aplomb, fortuitous, finagle, apoplectic, debutante, carte blanche, aardvark and 472 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for grumble.

sonofgroucho "Oh, wouldn't the world seem dull and flat
With nothing whatever to grumble at?" WS Gilbert. Dec 10, 2006