harrumph
Pompous throat clearing
Harrumph is a throaty sound expressing disapproval, skepticism, or grumpy dismissal—the verbal equivalent of a scowl.
As a verb, to harrumph is to make this sound or to speak in a pompously disapproving manner: The old senator harrumphed about declining standards.
The word captures self-important grumbling, often from someone who thinks their displeasure should carry weight.
Low guttural sound
- snortNoisy nasal exhale
- growlLow threatening sound
- mutterSpeak low and indistinctly
- murmurSoft, indistinct continuous sound
rumble · sputter · splutter · cough · sniff · huff · exclaim · bluster
Ill-tempered, stubborn person
- grouchHabitually irritable person
- crankRotary operating handle
- sourpussHabitually sullen person
- grumblerHabitual fault-finder
codger · fuddy-duddy · cantankerous · crotchety · peevish · irascible · testy · surly
Loud, empty boasting
- blusteringSpeaking with noisy aggression
- self-importantExaggerating one's own significance
- stuffyLacking fresh air
- huffyEasily offended, sulky
indignant · affronted · officious · snooty · supercilious · dismissive · haughty · imperious
Of a prim era
- EdwardianOf early twentieth-century Britain
- stuffyLacking fresh air
- fuddy-duddyOld-fashioned, overly fussy person
- old-schoolAdhering to past methods
antiquated · quaint · prim · proper · stodgy · buttoned-up · fogey · traditionalist
grunt
Low guttural sound
murmur · rumble · sputter · splutter · cough · sniff · huff · exclaim · bluster · bellow
snort
Noisy nasal exhale
tsk · humph · harumph · grump · sniff · disdain · censure · reproach · scorn · displeasure
curmudgeon
Ill-tempered, stubborn person
grumbler · codger · fuddy-duddy · cantankerous · crotchety · peevish · irascible · testy · surly · churlish
bluster
Loud, empty boasting
- blusteringSpeaking with noisy aggression
- self-importantExaggerating one's own significance
- stuffyLacking fresh air
huffy · indignant · affronted · officious · snooty · supercilious · dismissive · haughty · imperious · condescending
Victorian
Of a prim era
- EdwardianOf early twentieth-century Britain
- stuffyLacking fresh air
- fuddy-duddyOld-fashioned, overly fussy person
old-school · antiquated · quaint · prim · proper · stodgy · buttoned-up · fogey · traditionalist · conservative
- disapprovaldisapproval, scowl, disapprove, disapproves, frown
- throat-clearing soundsahem, cough, throat clear, hem, harumph
- complaintscomplaint, complain, complaints, complaint form, complaint letter
- irritabilitycranky, grouchy, grumpy, irritated, annoyed
- nonsensenonsense, absurd, gibberish, gobbledegook, gobbledygook
- dismissalsgo away, get out, leave, scram, beat it