1
as in complainer
an irritable and complaining person
an uncle who is a real grouch when he's sick
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2
as in pouts
a state of resentful silence or irritability
having been proven wrong, he had a grouch on for hours afterwards
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3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
it wouldn't be a workday if we didn't hear his daily grouch about how bad the coffee is
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as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
always seems to be grouching about the weather
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grouch
Eric C. Shuster, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Dec. 2024
The Grinch, a furious grouch living on the outskirts of Whoville, decides to ruin the holiday by posing as Santa Claus and stealing everyone’s presents, decorations, and feasts.
—EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Origin: Latin Meaning: Free, Frenchman Alternative Spellings and Variations: Francis, Frankie
Oscar
Sure, the most famous Oscar is either a statue or a grouch, but the name itself is a strong choice that will grow with your child.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 23 Sep. 2024
Though the kitty is getting long in the tooth, Oscar is no grouch; his name is an acronym for OutSide Cat at Rear.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for grouch
Noun
Warm feelings fueled by the wonder and kindness of the season, inspired by the transformative and timeless experiences of Ebenezer Scrooge who changed from a selfish, penny-pinching grouch, into a generous, happy and altruistic person.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for grouch
Noun
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If family needs cause drama, set kind boundaries and explain them to any complainers.—
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The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Noun
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And now, Mikayla is grumpy, and Jace pouts on a hay bale.—
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Before this high achiever entered La Mer’s roster of offerings, its lip category consisted only of The Lip Balm, The Lip Polish, and The Lip Volumizer — all geared towards nourishing, restoring, and, in case of the latter, treating pouts to buildable color.—
Noun
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These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.—
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Deciphering the vocalizations involves both sound and context, as a dog’s bark or whine may be tied to its situation, Zhu said.—
Verb
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Later, the state spent $6 million to seal the brick building, after state workers complained of respiratory ailments and asthma.—
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Although older drivers are certainly more sensitive to nocturnal blasts of light, drivers in their 20s and 30s also complained about the overall brightness of some vehicles.—
Noun
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Take, for example, a bowl of artichoke purée poured around a hillock of tender Jonah crab.—
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Long before food trucks, enterprising business types began selling devil crab on-the-go from their motor scooters and bicycles equipped with insulated carriers.—
Noun
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Prolonged exposure to the cold conditions will lead to hypothermia for people, pets, and livestock.—
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Levinson has cited David Wojnarowicz’s haunted, unflinching writing on the AIDS crisis as an influence, and the lyric sheet is littered with pets and prayers and names of friends, giving their music the feeling of a community being preserved in song.—
Noun
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Until Verizon amends its complaint and the judge rules on the emergency request, there is no court directive preventing the association from moving forward with the rooftop work that Verizon says would interrupt wireless service in the area.—
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Beyond the service commitments, the complaint accuses HMM of conditioning access to space on the payment of peak season surcharges (PSS) and other extra-contractual fees—despite contract language that expressly barred such add-ons unless mutually agreed.—
Verb
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Hearing the Creature screaming his name, Victor turns back.—
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For all the talk about home-field advantage and the Bears needing their fans to scream 20 percent louder and be 30 percent drunker than usual, past precedent shows that won’t matter much.—
Cite this Entry
“Grouch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grouch. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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