1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

grumbler

noun

Definition of grumblernext
1
as in complainer
an irritable and complaining person the motor coach tour would have been okay if I hadn't been paired up with a grumbler who whined through the whole thing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in baby
a person who makes frequent complaints usually about little things how can you be such a grumbler when so much in your life is going well?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumbler
  1. complainer
  2. crab
  3. bear
  4. crank
Noun
  • My ‘Deborah Vance Show senior writer’ persona was kind of a rude complainer with an incipient alcohol problem.
    — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Are they deluded into thinking that the complainers are just a squeaky wheel minority and the majority of fans are happy with it?
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of complainer
Noun
  • Fresh lump crab meat, three cheeses, and a few tangy and spicy ingredients meld into one dreamy dip.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Reach uses a crab trap to disarm a G-man brandishing an On the Waterfront–style hook.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of crab
Noun
  • Grand Teton instructed visitors to gather all belongings, especially food, if a bear approaches.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Never Approach a Bear Seeing and experiencing wildlife like a bear can be exciting, says Edge.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of bear
Noun
  • The engine features a flat-plane crank that Mercedes-Benz AMG said reduces rotating mass and improves revving characteristics.
    — Joel Feder, The Drive, 10 Sep. 2026
  • In the ever more precarious world of academia, the neck of the principled luddite crank might be particularly attractive when institutions swing the axe in the next round of layoffs.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of crank
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.

Browse Nearby Words

grumbled
grumbler
grumblers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grumbler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumbler. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All