grumble

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath

   They grumble when they feel overworked.

2. 2
   verb

   to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds

   I grumbled a rude response into my drink.

3. 3
   noun

   A surly complaint.

   That whiner is never without a grumble to share.

4. 4
   verb

   To make a low, growling or rumbling noise, like a hungry stomach or certain animals.

   The distant thunder grumbles.

5. 5
   verb

   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.

6. 6
   verb

   To utter in a grumbling fashion.

   He grumbled that there was no grain "in the country" and that people were talking instead of working to provide it.

7. 7
   noun

   a complaint uttered in a low and indistinct tone

8. 8
   noun

   a loud low dull continuous noise

Etymology

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”).