grump

1 of 2

noun

1
: a fit of ill humor or sulkiness
usually used in plural
2
: a person given to complaining

grump

2 of 2

verb

grumped; grumping; grumps

transitive verb

: to utter in a grumpy manner

Examples of grump in a Sentence

Noun Our neighbor is an old grump. a real grump in the morning Verb those incessantly grumping patients were generally ignored by the nursing home staff he's been grumping about the house all morning because the golf tournament got rained out
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
His latest gamble, a seasonal producing job with the potential for longer-term employment, sends the family relocating from Ohio to New Jersey and then eventually to a Kansas farm owned by Macy’s semi-estranged grump of a brother, Walter (Chris Cooper). Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025 Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 16 Nothing cures a bad case of the grumps quite like baking. Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 12 June 2025
Verb
For someone who felt exhausted by putting on a faux-happy face at work every day, the return might be a chance to establish boundaries and a reputation for being an authentic (but still likable) grump. Sarah Todd, Quartz, 13 July 2021 However, George did join William and Kate on their tour of Australia in 2014 and was the grumpiest grump that ever grumped. Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, 24 June 2019 See All Example Sentences for grump

Word History

Etymology

Noun

obsolete English grumps snubs, slights

First Known Use

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grump was in 1844

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grump. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

grump

noun
ˈgrəmp
grumpily
ˈgrəm-pə-lē
adverb
grumpiness
-pē-nəs
noun
grumpy
-pē
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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