Standard Lemma guide

grum

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɡɹʌm/
  • rhymes with -ʌm
  • CMU ARPABET: G R AH1 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Morose, stern, surly, sullen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Low, deep in the throat; guttural

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a grum voice

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English grom, from Old English grom, gram (“angry, wrathful”), from Proto-Germanic *gramaz (“angry, bearing a grudge”), from Proto-Indo-European *ghrem- (“to thunder, rub, tear, scratch”). Probably influenced in form by glum. Compare also Danish grum (“cruel, atrocious, fell”), Swedish grym (“cruel, furious, terrible”). See also grim, gram, grump.