grump

Grump is a colloquial English noun referring to a person who is habitually irritable or ill-tempered, a grouchy individual. It is commonly used in informal speech and can carry a humorous or affectionate tone, as in phrases like “Don’t be such a grump” or “What a grump you are today.” The term is most often used to describe people rather than moods, and is closely related to the adjective grumpy.

The exact origin of grump is unclear. It is likely tied to related words such as grumble or grumpy, and may have arisen as a pejorative nickname that evolved into a general descriptor. Grump has circulated in English primarily through everyday speech and popular culture since the 20th century, remaining informal in register.

Usage and nuance: grump can describe someone’s habitual behavior or a current mood, but it is generally less formal than synonyms like grouch, curmudgeon, or sourpuss. It can be used playfully among friends or more pointedly when teasing someone about their surly demeanor. The corresponding adjective grumpy is more common when describing a person’s general disposition, while grump itself emphasizes the person as a character.

In culture, grump has occasionally appeared as a proper noun or character name in books, cartoons, and games, typically representing a grouchy persona. It is also encountered in everyday discourse as part of phrases such as “old grump” or “grumpiness.”

See also: grumpy, grouch, curmudgeon, sourpuss.