grumble

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To complain about something in a quiet, unhappy way.

   The workers grumble when they feel overworked.

2. 2
   verb

   To make a low, continuous, rumbling sound.

   The distant thunder grumbled all afternoon.

3. 3
   noun

   A quiet complaint said in an unhappy tone.

   That whiner always has a grumble to share.

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”).

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