chunter

American

[chuhn-ter] / ˈtʃʌn tər /

verb (used without object)

British Informal.

to grumble or grouse mildly or tediously.

chunter British

/ ˈtʃʌnə, ˈtʃʌntə /

verb

informal to mutter or grumble incessantly in a meaningless fashion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of chunter

First recorded in 1590–1600; originally dialect (Midlands, N England) chunter, chunder, chunner; compare Scots channer in same sense; expressive word of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Botham would be honour-bound to chunter about anything but if the measured and in-touch-with-his-melancholy-side Atherton is putting the existential boot in, we’re in trouble.

From The Guardian • Oct. 16, 2015

At that stage in the day, Sri Lanka had eased past the follow-on mark and people were starting to chunter about the pitch.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2014

All these approaches mean that Moore’s law should be able to chunter along for a few more years, at least.

From Economist • Aug. 17, 2011

It was solid, if unspectacular entertainment and the murmuring members found time to tut and chunter as the umpire called "net" instead of "let" on a succession of let services.

From Reuters • Jun. 21, 2011

Since she had another seat and was quite comfortable, we smiled and let her chunter.

From Sea and Sardinia by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023