harumph
English
Alternative forms
- harrumph
Etymology
Onomatopoeic.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /həˈɹʌm(p)f/
Audio (US) (file) - Hyphenation: ha‧rumph
Interjection
harumph
- An expression of disdain, disbelief, protest, refusal or dismissal.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bullshit, Thesaurus:bah
- Harumph! She is welcome to try, but I'm not going to bother helping.
- 1982, Patrick F. McManus, They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?:
- "Harumph! Well, now, perhaps I spoke too soon, McManus."
Noun
harumph (plural harumphs)
- An expression of disdain, disbelief, protest, or dismissal; a huff, grunt, or snort.
- I didn't get a harumph out of that guy.
- Give the governor a harumph.
Verb
harumph (third-person singular simple present harumphs, present participle harumphing, simple past and past participle harumphed)
- To dislike, protest, or dismiss.
- 2009 August 25, Paula Cocozza, “The rules of back-garden etiquette”, in The Guardian:
- Is it wrong to harumph when the scent of spitting fat drifts towards your washing line?
- 2012 June 3, Hugh Muir, “Hideously diverse Britain: standing up for the Romanians”, in The Guardian:
- "An open invitation for beggars," harumphed Migrationwatch. Ever the humanitarians.
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Translations
dislike
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