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

Example Sentences

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
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 Ressler tries to stall, but Nigel just takes off his suit jacket while a guard zip ties on our favorite FBI grump. Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2023 What audiences respond to in them is the interplay of Adam Sandler, as a grump with a chip on his shoulder but an even larger sense of loyalty, and Jennifer Aniston, as a sweetheart who is done being life’s second banana. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2023 Even a professional grump like you, Doc. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 20 May 2021 For more than a decade, Susan Meyers’ front sidewalk proved a cheerful hub in her Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood — until one anonymous grump called 311. Heather Knight, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2023 Hanks plays Otto Anderson, a grump who falls into a depression after his wife dies. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 Feb. 2023 No list of Christmas movies is truly complete without an appearance from the Grinch, and this animated version deserves a place in the holiday movie canon, thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch's memorable take on everyone's favorite green holiday grump. Cameron Jenkins, Good Housekeeping, 25 Aug. 2022
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 See More

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 8 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

grump

noun
ˈgrəmp
grumpily
ˈgrəm-pə-lē
adverb
grumpiness
-pē-nəs
noun
grumpy
-pē
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!