grump
grump — noun
- grumpsingular
- grumpsplural
1. a habitually irritable person who complains frequently, especially about trivial
a habitually irritable person who complains frequently, especially about trivial matters
Our neighbour Mr. Kowalski is such an old grump — he complains about kids playing street football every Saturday.
collocation: old grump
Don't be such a grump, Amir! The sun is shining and we came here to have fun.
imperative: 'Don't be such a grump'
The head librarian was known as a grump, but she was quite kind once you got to know her.
Clara can be a real grump before she has had her morning coffee.
- grouch
more common in American English, similar meaning
- complainer
less vivid, focuses on the complaining rather than the bad mood
文法句型
adjective + grump
be such a grump
old grump
用法筆記
Commonly used with adjectives like old, real, miserable, or terrible before the noun. The word is almost always used to describe someone's general character, not a temporary mood.
常見錯誤
grump — verb
- grumppresent simple I / you / we / they
- grumps3rd person singular
- grumping-ing form
- grumpedpast simple
1. to be in a silent, unhappy mood and show your annoyance by complaining, usually
to be in a silent, unhappy mood and show your annoyance by complaining, usually about something that is not very important
Every time the football match is cancelled, Diego grumps about it for the rest of the evening.
grump about [something] — typical object pattern
Stop grumping about the queue and just enjoy your magazine.
The children grumped through the whole history exhibition, saying it was tedious.
After the trip was cancelled, Mei-Lin grumped about it for days.
文法句型
grump about [something]
grump around [place]
用法筆記
Intransitive only — you cannot grump someone. The object of the complaint is introduced with about. Frequently used in imperative negatives (Stop grumping…) to tell someone to stop complaining.
常見錯誤
2. to say something in an irritated or displeased tone, letting your bad mood show
to say something in an irritated or displeased tone, letting your bad mood show in how you speak
"I suppose I will have to do it myself," grumped Mr. Kowalski, putting on his coat.
grump + direct speech in narrative
"Fine, you can have the last biscuit," Oliver grumped, sliding the tin across the table.
"The train is delayed again," grumped the commuter, checking his watch for the third time.
"Nobody ever listens to me," grumped Nora, sinking into the sofa.
文法句型
grump + direct speech
grump that + clause
用法筆記
Almost always used in narrative writing to report dialogue. The verb comes after the quoted speech or is inserted within it. Not used in everyday conversation (you would say 'he said grumpily' instead).