grump

1 of 2

noun

1
: a fit of ill humor or sulkiness
usually used in plural
2
: a person given to complaining

grump

2 of 2

verb

grumped; grumping; grumps

transitive verb

: to utter in a grumpy manner

Examples of grump in a Sentence

Noun Our neighbor is an old grump. a real grump in the morning Verb those incessantly grumping patients were generally ignored by the nursing home staff he's been grumping about the house all morning because the golf tournament got rained out
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As a fiery academic dealing with unsuspecting success, Wright out-curmudgeons the mighty Giamatti, gives an irascible grump a big heart, and, as one of our great character actors, makes the most of his spotlight. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 May plays Henrietta, a very rich, very awkward botanist with zero social skills who is targeted by a gold-digging creep (the excellent grump, Mr. Walter Matthau). Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024 David Mamet is ornery and funny—a delightful grump. Kyle Smith, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023 Universal Pictures' rendition of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023 Plenty of his other great films, such as About Schmidt and Nebraska, have wrung big laughs from the lives of similarly miserable middle-aged grumps. David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2023 Planning For Burial’s Thom Wasluck is a beloved character in the Flenser universe, a loveable grump noted for his massive amp stacks. Andy O'Connor, SPIN, 27 June 2023 Directed by Marc Forster, A Man Called Otto stars Hanks as Otto Anderson, an old grump who has effectively given up on life after losing his wife. Travis Bean, Forbes, 5 May 2023 The grumps end when the lights dance and a cup of hot cocoa soothes. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Apr. 2023
Verb
For someone who felt exhausted by putting on a faux-happy face at work every day, the return might be a chance to establish boundaries and a reputation for being an authentic (but still likable) grump. Sarah Todd, Quartz, 13 July 2021 However, George did join William and Kate on their tour of Australia in 2014 and was the grumpiest grump that ever grumped. Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, 24 June 2019 Though this year, his little brother might have out grumped him. Sally Holmes, Marie Claire, 8 June 2019 Regina grumped out of the bedroom and pressed the manual start. Neal Pollack, Popular Mechanics, 1 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

obsolete English grumps snubs, slights

First Known Use

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grump was in 1844

Dictionary Entries Near grump

Cite this Entry

“Grump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grump. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

grump

noun
ˈgrəmp
grumpily
ˈgrəm-pə-lē
adverb
grumpiness
-pē-nəs
noun
grumpy
-pē
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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