1
as in complainer
an irritable and complaining person
an uncle who is a real grouch when he's sick
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pouts
a state of resentful silence or irritability
having been proven wrong, he had a grouch on for hours afterwards
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3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
it wouldn't be a workday if we didn't hear his daily grouch about how bad the coffee is
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
always seems to be grouching about the weather
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grouch
Eric C. Shuster, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Dec. 2024
The Grinch, a furious grouch living on the outskirts of Whoville, decides to ruin the holiday by posing as Santa Claus and stealing everyone’s presents, decorations, and feasts.
—EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Origin: Latin Meaning: Free, Frenchman Alternative Spellings and Variations: Francis, Frankie
Oscar
Sure, the most famous Oscar is either a statue or a grouch, but the name itself is a strong choice that will grow with your child.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 23 Sep. 2024
Though the kitty is getting long in the tooth, Oscar is no grouch; his name is an acronym for OutSide Cat at Rear.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for grouch
Noun
Warm feelings fueled by the wonder and kindness of the season, inspired by the transformative and timeless experiences of Ebenezer Scrooge who changed from a selfish, penny-pinching grouch, into a generous, happy and altruistic person.
—Eric C. Shuster, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Dec. 2024
The Grinch, a furious grouch living on the outskirts of Whoville, decides to ruin the holiday by posing as Santa Claus and stealing everyone’s presents, decorations, and feasts.
—EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Origin: Latin Meaning: Free, Frenchman Alternative Spellings and Variations: Francis, Frankie
Oscar
Sure, the most famous Oscar is either a statue or a grouch, but the name itself is a strong choice that will grow with your child.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 23 Sep. 2024
Though the kitty is getting long in the tooth, Oscar is no grouch; his name is an acronym for OutSide Cat at Rear.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for grouch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grouch
Noun
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If family needs cause drama, set kind boundaries and explain them to any complainers.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
2 Jan. 2026
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The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The squalane superstar makes pouts smoother, shinier, and plumper over time, which are all desirable adjectives in context of being as camera-ready as ever.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
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And now, Mikayla is grumpy, and Jace pouts on a hay bale.—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
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These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
30 Nov. 2025
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Deciphering the vocalizations involves both sound and context, as a dog’s bark or whine may be tied to its situation, Zhu said.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Boston Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Later, the state spent $6 million to seal the brick building, after state workers complained of respiratory ailments and asthma.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
11 Jan. 2026
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Although older drivers are certainly more sensitive to nocturnal blasts of light, drivers in their 20s and 30s also complained about the overall brightness of some vehicles.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Take, for example, a bowl of artichoke purée poured around a hillock of tender Jonah crab.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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Long before food trucks, enterprising business types began selling devil crab on-the-go from their motor scooters and bicycles equipped with insulated carriers.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For Olivo, Maggie represented far more than a pet left behind.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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The Sorys are passionate about their pets and seem to put the animals’ needs before their own.—
Blake Farmer,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At one point during Harry's testimony, Anthony White, lawyer for Associated Newspapers, mentioned that the prince hadn't made a complaint about any of the articles at the time.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
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This is now at least the third auto repair business to shut down at that Atlantic Avenue location after a slew of complaints, and our investigations found that people with the same last name – Quiles – helped create or manage all three businesses.—
Tim McNicholas,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Even Liz and Prue, half sisters whose relationship had been punctuated by epic screaming fights, found common ground.—
Gabriel Sherman,
Vanity Fair,
14 Jan. 2026
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Emotions spilled over in the public gallery when the sister of one of the teachers killed screamed out.—
Matthew J. Friedman,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grouch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grouch. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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