Grumble definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GRUM'BLE, v.i. [Heb. to roar, murmur, thunder.]
1. To murmur with discontent; to utter a low voice by way of complaint.
L'Avare, not using half his store,
Still grumbles that he has no more.
2. To growl; to snarl; as a lion grumbling over his prey.
3. To rumble; to roar; to make a harsh and heavy sound; as grumbling thunder; a grumbling storm. [In this sense, rumble is generally used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a loud low dull continuous noise; "they heard the rumbling of thunder" [syn: rumble, rumbling, grumble, grumbling]
2: a complaint uttered in a low and indistinct tone [syn: grumble, grumbling, murmur, murmuring, mutter, muttering] v
1: show one's unhappiness or critical attitude; "He scolded about anything that he thought was wrong"; "We grumbled about the increased work load" [syn: grouch, grumble, scold]
2: make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath; "she grumbles when she feels overworked" [syn: murmur, mutter, grumble, croak, gnarl]
3: to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds; "he grumbled a rude response"; "Stones grumbled down the cliff" [syn: grumble, growl, rumble]
4: make a low noise; "rumbling thunder" [syn: rumble, grumble]

Merriam Webster's

verb (grumbled; grumbling) Etymology: probably from Middle French grommeler, ultimately from Middle Dutch grommen; akin to Old High German grimm grim Date: 1580 intransitive verb 1. to mutter in discontent 2. growl, rumble transitive verb to express with grumbling • grumble noun • grumbler noun • grumblingly adverb • grumbly adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 intr. a (often foll. by at, about, over) complain peevishly. b be discontented. 2 intr. a utter a dull inarticulate sound; murmur, growl faintly. b rumble. 3 tr. (often foll. by out) utter complainingly. 4 intr. (as grumbling adj.) colloq. giving intermittent discomfort without causing illness (a grumbling appendix). --n. 1 a complaint. 2 a a dull inarticulate sound; a murmur. b a rumble. Derivatives: grumbler n. grumbling adj. grumblingly adv. grumbly adj. Etymology: obs. grumme: cf. MDu. grommen, MLG grommelen, f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grumble Grum"ble, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Grunbled; p. pr. & vb. n. Grumbling.] [Cf. LG. grummeln, grumman, D. grommelen, grommen, and F. grommeler, of German origin; cf. W. grwm, murmur, grumble, surly. [root]35. Cf. Grum, Grim.] 1. To murmur or mutter with discontent; to make ill-natured complaints in a low voice and a surly manner. L'Avare, not using half his store, Still grumbles that he has no more. --Prior. 2. To growl; to snarl in deep tones; as, a lion grumbling over his prey. 3. To rumble; to make a low, harsh, and heavy sound; to mutter; as, the distant thunder grumbles.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grumble Grum"ble, v. t. To express or utter with grumbling.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grumble Grum"ble, n. 1. The noise of one that grumbles. 2. A grumbling, discontented disposition. A bad case of grumble. --Mrs. H. H. Jacksn.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(grumbles, grumbling, grumbled) 1. If someone grumbles, they complain about something in a bad-tempered way. I shouldn't grumble about Mum–she's lovely really... Taft grumbled that the law so favored the criminal that trials seemed like a game of chance... 'This is inconvenient,' he grumbled... It's simply not in her nature to grumble. = moan, whinge VERB: V about/at n, V that, V with quote, V • Grumble is also a noun. My grumble is with the structure and organisation of the material. N-COUNT • grumbling (grumblings) There have been grumblings about the party leader. N-VAR 2. If something grumbles, it makes a low continuous sound. (LITERARY) It was quiet now, the thunder had grumbled away to the west... The dogs made a noise, a rough, grumbling sound. VERB: V adv/prep, V-ing, also V • Grumble is also a noun. One could often hear, far to the east, the grumble of guns. N-SING: usu N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. 1. Complain, murmur, repine, croak, find fault. 2. Growl, snarl, gnarl. 3. Rumble, roar.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

To grumble in the gizzard; to murmur or repine. He grumbled like a bear with a sore head.

Moby Thesaurus

air a grievance, beef, belch, bellyache, bitch, blare, blat, boom, booming, brawl, bray, burr, buzz, cackle, cannonade, caw, chirr, clamor, clang, clangor, clank, clash, complain, crab, craunch, croak, crump, crunch, echo, fret, fret and fume, fuss, gnarl, grind, gripe, groan, grouch, grouse, growl, growling, grumbling, grunt, hiss, holler, howl, jangle, jar, kick, lodge a complaint, moan, murmur, mutter, peal, raise a howl, rasp, reboation, rebound, reecho, register a complaint, resound, resounding, reverberation, roar, roll, rumble, rumbling, scold, scranch, scrape, scratch, scrunch, snap, snarl, snore, spit, squawk, take on, thunder, thundering, twang, whine, yap, yelp