grumbling

1 of 2

noun

grum·​bling ˈgrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 

plural grumblings

1

: a mutter of discontent : complaint

Operators of bars and restaurants, who hear the first-hand grumblings of customers on the boardwalk, tend to oppose the ordinance.

—Kevin Robinson

2

: a growling or reverberating noise : rumbling

On a shorter timescale, researchers and governments are working together to detect the first grumblings of an earthquake and alert communities that might be affected.

—Eva Botkin-Kowacki

grumbling

2 of 2

adjective

1

: expressing discontent especially by muttering

Meanwhile, grumbling fans wondered why the new coach hadn't hired any Ohioans for his staff.

—Erick Adelson

2

: making a low, heavy, rolling sound

There was no sound, still, but the rushing river and the grumbling, looming storm.

—Susan Cooper

grumblingly

ˈgrəm-b(ə-)liŋ-lē 

adverb

Some marine park wardens were doing a quick flyover, perhaps to check that we weren't poachers, and Al grumblingly went below to answer the crackling radio.

—Tony Perrottet

Examples of grumbling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ask the receptionist for their ideas If the next available appointment requires an unbearably long wait, politely tell the scheduler instead of hanging up the phone and grumbling, Maissel advises. —Angela Haupt, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025

But any grumblings from them will not shift policy under one-man rule. —Jude Blanchette, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2022

If the cynicism of Tarantino's grumblings about the state of the film industry has intensified over time, so has his fondness for his own contributions to said industry. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 28 Jan. 2025

Midway through the film, a scene of cotton being harvested and shaped into a trailer-length bale is underscored by a deep grumbling that suggests machinery, and vocals that hint at spirit (original music by Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe). —Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grumbling

• bumbling
• crumbling
• fumbling
• humbling
• mumbling
• rumbling
• stumbling
• tumbling