grumble

English

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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹʌmbl̩/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌmbəl

Noun

grumble (plural grumbles)

1. (onomatopoeia) A low thundering, rumbling or growling sound.
2. The sound made by a hungry stomach.
3. A surly complaint.

   That whiner is never without a grumble to share.

Derived terms

• grumbly

Translations

a low thundering, rumbling or growling sound

• Bulgarian: тътен (bg) m (tǎten)
• Finnish: karjunta (fi), ärjyntä (fi), mylvintä (fi)
• French: grondement (fr) m
• German: Gegrummel n, Grummeln n
• Irish: geonaíl f
• Italian: protestare (it)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: بۆڵە (bolle)

• Portuguese: rosnado m
• Russian: рыча́ние (ru) n (ryčánije)
• Spanish: refunfuñar (es)
• Vietnamese: lầm bầm (vi)

the sound made by a hungry stomach

• Bulgarian: куркане n (kurkane), къркорене n (kǎrkorene)
• Czech: kručení n
• Dutch: gegrommel, geknor (nl), grommen (nl) n
• Finnish: kurninta, kurnaus
• French: gargouillement (fr) m, grondement (fr) m
• German: Knurren n
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: قۆڕەقۆڕ (qorreqorr)

• Romanian: chiorăi (ro), ghiorțăi (ro), borborism, borborigme
• Russian: урча́ние (ru) n (určánije)

surly complaint

• Bulgarian: мърморене (bg) n (mǎrmorene)
• French: grognement (fr) m

Verb

grumble (third-person singular simple present grumbles, present participle grumbling, simple past and past participle grumbled)

1. (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.

2. (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.

3. (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.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:complain

Derived terms

• begrumble
• grumbler
• mustn't grumble

Translations

to make a low growling or rumbling animal noise

• Albanian: shfryj (sq), gjëmoj (sq)
• Bulgarian: ръмжа (bg) (rǎmža)
• Dutch: grommen (nl), knorren (nl)
• Finnish: karjua (fi), ärjyä (fi), mylviä (fi)
• French: gronder (fr) m
• Galician: rosmar (gl), roñar (gl)
• Greek:

  Ancient: γρύζω (grúzō)

• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: بۆڵە (bolle)

• Portuguese: rosnar (pt)
• Russian: рыча́ть (ru) (ryčátʹ)
• Walloon: groûler (wa)

to make a low growling or rumbling stomach noise

• Bulgarian: куркам (kurkam)
• Dutch: grommen (nl), grommelen (nl)
• Finnish: kurnia (fi), kurnata
• French: gargouiller (fr)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: بۆڵە (bolle)

• Russian: урча́ть (ru) (určátʹ), бурча́ть (ru) (burčátʹ)

to murmur or mutter with discontent

• Arabic: قَمْقَمَ (qamqama)
• Azerbaijani: deyinmək, dolquldanmaq, söylənmək, mırıldamaq
• Bulgarian: мърморя (bg) (mǎrmorja), мрънкам (bg) (mrǎnkam)
• Catalan: rondinar (ca)
• Dutch: grommen (nl), grommelen (nl), morren (nl)
• Finnish: purnata (fi), valittaa (fi)
• French: ronchonner (fr), bougonner (fr), rouspéter (fr), grogner (fr), grommeler (fr), maugréer (fr)
• Galician: rosmar (gl), roñar (gl), refungar
• German: murren (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: γογγύζω (gongúzō)

• Irish: bí ag clamhsán, déan clamhsán
• Latin: ganniō
• Macedonian: мрчи (mrči)
• Maori: wauwau, whakangutungutu, whakanonenone, hakuhaku
• Persian: ژکیدن (fa) (žakidan)
• Portuguese: rosnar (pt), resmungar (pt)
• Russian: ворча́ть (ru) (vorčátʹ), бурча́ть (ru) (burčátʹ), брюзжа́ть (ru) (brjuzžátʹ)
• Spanish: refunfuñar (es), rezongar (es)
• Ukrainian: бурчати (uk) impf (burčaty)
• Walloon: marmouzî (wa), maroner (wa)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} grambli
• German: ^{(please verify)} brummen (de)
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} borbottare (it), ^{(please verify)} brontolare (it), ^{(please verify)} ronzare (it)

See also

• rumble