grumble

verb

grum·​ble ˈgrəm-bəl 

grumbled; grumbling ˈgrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to mutter in discontent

grumbled about the scarcity of jobs

2

: growl, rumble

My stomach is grumbling.

Thunder grumbled in the distance.

transitive verb

: to express with grumbling

grumbled his annoyance

grumble noun

grumbler

ˈgrəm-b(ə-)lər 

noun

grumbly

ˈgrəm-b(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms of grumble

• complain
• scream
• whine
• moan

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

The grant program is administered by the State Elections Enforcement Commission, or SEEC, Connecticut’s elections watchdog, and campaign treasurers grumble and groan to this day about nit-picking SEEC expenditures accountability requirements. — Elona Vaisnys, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2026

Aside from social media posts complaining about the war’s fallout and some grumbling from oligarchs about the Kremlin seizing their assets, there are still no signs of any widespread popular unrest against Vladimir Putin’s regime. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026

The actors grumble about shooting on the open ocean, trade stories, debate Shakespeare, art and fame, reveal stories of their past and share insecurities as the delays stretch on. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026

To do so, the chain has invested in labor and renovations to its coffee houses, earning some grumbling from investors. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 29 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for grumble

• bumble
• crumble
• fumble
• humble
• jumble
• mumble
• rumble
• stumble
• tumble
• umbel

Kids Definition

grumble

verb

grum·​ble ˈgrəm-bəl 

grumbled; grumbling -b(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to mutter in discontent

2

: rumble entry 1

grumble noun

grumbler

-b(ə-)lər 

noun

grumblingly

-ˌb(ə-)liŋ-lē 

adverb