plural grouse or grouses
: any of various chiefly ground-dwelling birds (family Tetraonidae) that are usually of reddish-brown or other protective color and have feathered legs and that include many important game birds

grouse

2 of 3

verb

groused; grousing

intransitive verb

: complain, grumble
groused about the higher prices
grouser noun

grouse

3 of 3

noun (2)

: complaint
listened to their grouses about working conditions

Examples of grouse in a Sentence

Verb She's been grousing to her boss about the working conditions. Fans have groused that the higher prices are unfair. Noun (2) a forum in which employees can air their grouses
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The previous Trump administration also attempted to undo protection for the sage grouse keystone species, largely enabling oil and gas interests that had long opposed the extent of the grouse conservation efforts. May Wang, JSTOR Daily, 6 Mar. 2025 Any one of them might go an extended stretch without quality targets, yet none grouses about it. Tim Graham, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
Presidents have groused about being checked by courts for decades. Graham Underwood, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2025 Given that both big- and small-market owners are grousing about the Dodgers ruining baseball, MLB, perhaps spearheaded by Monfort, is headed for a work stoppage after the 2026 season. Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grouse

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Verb

origin unknown

Noun (2)

derivative of grouse entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1531, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1887, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grouse was in 1531

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grouse. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

plural grouse or grouses
: any of various plump-bodied game birds that are usually reddish or grayish brown with feathers on the legs

grouse

2 of 2 verb
groused; grousing
grouser noun

More from Merriam-Webster on grouse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!