grumping

verb

present participle of grump
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely those incessantly grumping patients were generally ignored by the nursing home staff

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pouting
to silently go about in a bad mood he's been grumping about the house all morning because the golf tournament got rained out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grumping
  1. complaining
  2. pouting
  3. screaming
  4. frowning
  5. whining
  6. scowling
  7. moaning
Verb
  • Parents keep complaining to me that their kids are sedentary at school, even though humans need to keep moving throughout the day to be healthy.
    — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Aside from social media posts complaining about the war’s fallout and some grumbling from oligarchs about the Kremlin seizing their assets, there are still no signs of any widespread popular unrest against Vladimir Putin’s regime.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of complaining
Verb
  • Some people will probably be pouting in those debriefs.
    — Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • My introduction to Peters came late last year, when Instagram’s algorithm served me a video of him wearing a baseball cap, primping and pouting for the camera.
    — Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Definition of pouting
Verb
  • The ‘Ginger Prince’ also scored the goal which prompted the loudest atmosphere at Old Trafford so far this century, a 25-yard screaming half-volley against Barcelona in the 2008 Champions League semi-final second leg, the only goal across both legs.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Dispatchers heard gunshots and screaming on the other end of the line.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of screaming
Verb
  • This focuses readers on the all-black uniforms of the veiled pupils, who—in a long frame at the center of the page—sit between the looming, frowning teacher on the right and Marji on the left, who stands up to explain that her uncle was executed by the Islamic regime.
    — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
  • Woods, 50, is seen frowning in the photo, taken shortly after the legendary golfer was booked into jail on March 27 after his Land Rover rolled over in Jupiter Island, Florida.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of frowning
Verb
  • The fact that a prominent world leader has been desperately hoping (some might say whining) for a Nobel Peace Prize is not lost on Bang.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Like nails on a chalkboard, whining—an irritating blend of talking and crying—has the ability to make almost any parent either lose their temper or cave.
    — Debby Waldman, Parents, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of whining
Verb
  • The note was written on Cohn’s personal stationery, imprinted with a scowling caricature of himself.
    — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • As a 7-year-old, I’d entertain my father’s friends, at their weekly pickup game at a Bronx barn-house gymnasium, by imitating his game face—bottom lip jutting, eyes scowling.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 14 June 2026
Definition of scowling
Verb
  • Swinging his hips, moaning into the mic and briefly getting promiscuous with a mic stand was the authenticity that the majority-millennial crowd expected.
    — Sophie Lindberg July 11, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
  • Federal officers stand over a man with a bloody shirt who is handcuffed face down, moaning in pain as his left foot shakes.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of moaning
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.

Browse Nearby Words

grumpiness
grumping
grumps
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grumping. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All