verb / noun

grumble

GRUM-bul/ˈɡrʌmbl/

To make a low, dissatisfied rumbling sound.

The customer grumbles in a low, dissatisfied voice about the burnt toast.

A compact two-moment café sequence shows a customer discovering badly burnt toast, then grumbling about it to a waiter: a sour, hunched posture, narrowly parted downturned lips, and a small insistent gesture toward the toast convey subdued complaining rather than an angry outburst.

Etymology

French grommeler, one possible source, means to mutter between the teeth. That image connects grumbling with dissatisfaction expressed in a low mutter rather than an open protest.

In context

Storytime Haven232:33

it seems to me absurd to butt your head against a stone wall, and then grumble because it hurts and you don’t make any impression on it.

A Prince of Swindlers 👑💰 | A Tale of Deceit and Adventure by Guy Boothby

More examples

She grumbles under her breath about the cold coffee.
A few grumbles rise from the waiting crowd.
My stomach grumbles before lunch.

Forms

grumble · grumbles · grumbled · grumbling

grumbler noun — A person who voices low, dissatisfied complaints.

Similar words

mutter: Emphasizes indistinct speech, which need not express dissatisfaction.
growl: Suggests a rougher, more threatening sound than grumble.
rumble: Describes a low, deep sound without necessarily suggesting dissatisfaction.