grumble
verb /ˈɡrʌmbl/
/ˈɡrʌmbl/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they grumble | /ˈɡrʌmbl/ /ˈɡrʌmbl/ |
| he / she / it grumbles | /ˈɡrʌmblz/ /ˈɡrʌmblz/ |
| past simple grumbled | /ˈɡrʌmbld/ /ˈɡrʌmbld/ |
| past participle grumbled | /ˈɡrʌmbld/ /ˈɡrʌmbld/ |
| -ing form grumbling | /ˈɡrʌmblɪŋ/ /ˈɡrʌmblɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to complain about somebody/something, especially something that is not really very serious
- grumble (at/to somebody) (about/at somebody/something) She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work.
- + speech ‘I'll just have to do it myself,’ he grumbled.
- grumble that… They kept grumbling that they were cold.
Synonyms complaincomplain- protest
- object
- grumble
- moan
- whine
- complain to say that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied about somebody/something:
- I’m going to complain to the manager about this.
- protest to say or do something to show that you disagree with something or think it is bad, especially publicly; to give something as a reason for protesting:
- Students took to the streets to protest against the decision.
- object to say that you disagree with something or think it is bad; to give something as a reason for objecting:
- If nobody objects, we’ll postpone the meeting till next week.
- He objected that the police had arrested him without sufficient evidence.
- grumble (rather informal, disapproving) to complain about somebody/something, especially something that is not really very serious:
- They kept grumbling that they were cold.
- moan (British English, rather informal, disapproving) to complain about somebody/something in an annoying way:
- What are you moaning about now?
- whine (rather informal, disapproving) to complain in an annoying, crying voice:
- Stop whining!
- ‘I want to go home,’ whined Toby.
- to complain/protest/grumble/moan/whine about something
- to complain/protest/grumble/moan at something
- to complain/protest/object/grumble/moan/whine to somebody
- to complain/protest/object/grumble/moan/whine that…
Extra Examples- He was always grumbling at me.
- I can't bear people who grumble about the weather.
- She grumbled at having to carry so many boxes.
- We're all well at the moment, so I can't grumble.
- [intransitive] to make a deep continuous sound synonym rumble
- Thunder grumbled in the distance.
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from obsolete grumme (probably of Germanic origin and related to Dutch grommen) + -le.