grumble

Word family

grum·ble /ˈɡrʌmbəl/ verb

1 COMPLAIN[intransitiveI, transitiveT] to keep complaining in an unhappy way 不断地发牢骚，抱怨 SYN moan

grumble about/at

Farmers are always grumbling about the weather.

农民老是在抱怨天气。

grumble that

A few passengers grumbled that their cabins were too small.

有几个乘客抱怨座舱太小。

‘This is boring, ’ Kathleen grumbled.

“这真无聊。”凯瑟琳抱怨道。

► see thesaurus at complain

2 [intransitiveI] to make a low continuous sound 发出隆隆声 SYN rumble

Thunder grumbled overhead.

头顶上雷声隆隆。

3 mustn’t/can’t grumble British EnglishBrE spokenCOMPLAIN used to say that you are fairly healthy and happy 还不错〔用来表示自己健康愉悦〕

‘How are you today?’ ‘Mustn’t grumble.’

“你今天好吗？”“还不错。”

—grumble noun [countableC]

the usual grumbles about pay

对工资的经常性抱怨

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

grum·ble verb

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus