From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgrumblegrum‧ble /ˈɡrʌmbəl/ ●○○ verb 1 COMPLAIN[intransitive, transitive] to keep complaining in an unhappy way SYN moangrumble about/at Farmers are always grumbling about the weather.grumble that A few passengers grumbled that their cabins were too small. ‘This is boring, ’ Kathleen grumbled.► see thesaurus at complain2 [intransitive] to make a low continuous sound SYN rumble Thunder grumbled overhead.3 → mustn’t/can’t grumble —grumble noun [countable] the usual grumbles about pay→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
grumble• She grumbles a bit about me waking her up, but I don't think she minds all that much.• She was grumbling about having to work so late.• The people standing beside me were grumbling about not being able to find a place to park.• Slaves mumble, workers grumble and students mutter.• The old man turned away, grumbling as he went.• I remember now Mrs Maybury grumbling because she'd had to do it all herself.• Thunder grumbled in the distance.• Although she grumbles that T.S. Eliot does so much, she is all game for it herself.• That they exist is something of a miracle, so one should not grumble that the lines are often inaudible.• Mrs Archer grumbled to Janey, the only witness of her slight lapses from perfect sweetness.grumble that• Company executives grumble that analysts are obsessed with short-term performance at the expense of long-term growth and profitability.• The spectator wandered off grumbling that Jamie had dented his ladder.• But there are still grumbles that much insider dealing goes unpunished.• One morning he grumbled that she had told him the night before that he was the worst President since Jimmy Carter.• His parishioners had grumbled that streetwalkers propositioned them after his sermons.• Although she grumbles that T.S. Eliot does so much, she is all game for it herself.• That they exist is something of a miracle, so one should not grumble that the lines are often inaudible.• Class divisions have reappeared: private entrepreneurs grumble that ungrateful workers have forgotten how bad things were a year ago.Origin grumble (1500-1600) Probably from Old French grommeler, from Middle Dutch grommen 