Grumble vs Surly - What's the difference?
grumble | surly |
(onomatopoeia) A low thundering, rumbling or growling sound.
The sound made by a hungry stomach.
A complaint.
To make a low, growling or rumbling noise, like a hungry stomach or certain animals.
* {{quote-book
, year=1995
, author=Terry C. Johnston
, title=Dance on the Wind
, page=15
, passage=It made his stomach grumble in protest to think the mule was eating, and here he was worrying about her with an empty belly of his own.}}
To complain; to murmur or mutter with discontent; to make ill-natured complaints in a low voice and a surly manner.
To utter in a grumbling fashion.
* 2001 , Harry Willcox Pfanz, Gettysburg — the first day?
(obsolete) Lordly, arrogant, supercilious.
Irritated, bad-tempered, unfriendly.
Threatening, menacing, gloomy.
(obsolete) In an arrogant or supercilious manner.
* 1623 , , Julius Caesar , I.iii,
As a noun grumble
is (onomatopoeia) a low thundering, rumbling or growling sound.As a verb grumble
is to make a low, growling or rumbling noise, like a hungry stomach or certain animals.As an adjective surly is
(obsolete) lordly, arrogant, supercilious.As an adverb surly is
(obsolete) in an arrogant or supercilious manner.grumble
English
Noun
(en noun)- That whiner is never without a grumble to share.
Derived terms
* grumblyVerb
(grumbl)- The distant thunder grumbles .
- He grumbles about the food constantly, but has yet to learn to cook.
- He grumbled that there was no grain "in the country" and that people were talking instead of working to provide it.
Synonyms
* See alsoDerived terms
* grumblerSee also
* rumble English reporting verbssurly
English
Adjective
(er)- The surly weather put us all in a bad mood.
Adverb
(er)- Against the Capitol I met a lion / Who glazed upon me, and went surly