grouch

From Middle English grouchen, variant of grucchen (“to complain, mumble, murmur”). See grutch.

• IPA^(key): /ɡɹaʊt͡ʃ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊtʃ

grouch (plural grouches)

1. A complaint, a grumble, a fit of ill-humor. [from the late 19th c]
   • 1919, P. G. Wodehouse, 'A Damsel in Distress', Herbert Jenkins, 1956, p 20

     But today he had noticed from the moment he had got out of bed that something was amiss with the world. Either he was in the grip of some divine discontent due to the highly developed condition of his soul, or else he had a grouch.

2. One who is grumpy or irritable. [from the early 20th c]

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:complainer

   I don't feel like hanging around with that grouch.

• grouch bag
• morning grouch

grouch (third-person singular simple present grouches, present participle grouching, simple past and past participle grouched)

1. (intransitive) To be grumpy or irritable; to complain. [from the early 20th c.]

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:complain

   He spent all his time grouching about the problem instead of fixing it.

• grouchy