grumble
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
Probably from Middle French grommeler, from Old French grumeler (“to murmur, grumble”), from Middle Dutch *grommelen ("to murmur, mutter, grunt"; > Modern Dutch grommelen (“to grumble”)), frequentative of Middle Dutch grommen (“to growl, grunt”). Cognate with Middle Low German grummelen (> Low German grummeln (“to grumble”)), German grummeln (“to grumble”), Norwegian dialectal grymja (“to growl, grunt”).
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
grumble (plural grumbles)
- (onomatopoeia) A low thundering, rumbling or growling sound.
- The sound made by a hungry stomach.
- A surly complaint.
- That whiner is never without a grumble to share.
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
a low thundering, rumbling or growling sound
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the sound made by a hungry stomach
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surly complaint
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VerbEdit
grumble (third-person singular simple present grumbles, present participle grumbling, simple past and past participle grumbled)
- (intransitive) To make a low, growling or rumbling noise, like a hungry stomach or certain animals.
- The distant thunder grumbles.
- 1995, Terry C. Johnston, Dance on the Wind, page 15:
- It made his stomach grumble in protest to think the mule was eating, and here he was worrying about her with an empty belly of his own.
- (intransitive) To complain; to murmur or mutter with discontent; to make ill-natured complaints in a low voice and a surly manner.
- He grumbles about the food constantly, but has yet to learn to cook.
- (transitive) To utter in a grumbling fashion.
- 2001, Harry Willcox Pfanz, Gettysburg — the first day:
- He grumbled that there was no grain "in the country" and that people were talking instead of working to provide it.
SynonymsEdit
- See also Thesaurus:complain
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
to make a low growling or rumbling animal noise
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to make a low growling or rumbling stomach noise
to murmur or mutter with discontent
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Translations to be checked