grumble

verb

grum·​ble ˈgrəm-bəl How to pronounce grumble (audio)
grumbled; grumbling ˈgrəm-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce grumble (audio)
Synonyms of grumblenext

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 noun
grumbly 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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
King asked James, who had been grumbling. Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 The proud bronze lions outside the Art Institute are getting very annoyed and starting to grumble. Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026 Aura grumbled along with her classmates. Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026 Robbins was replaced at center by Adam Treu, the Raiders lost 48-21 to a Bucs team led by former Raiders coach Jon Gruden and teammates openly grumbled about Robbins in the aftermath. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grumble

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of grumble was in 1580

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grumble. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

grumble

verb
grum·​ble ˈgrəm-bəl How to pronounce grumble (audio)
grumbled; grumbling -b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce grumble (audio)
1
: to mutter in discontent
2
grumble noun
grumbler noun
grumblingly adverb

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