Grouching

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. A crouched position that conveys a sense of readiness or aggression
2. the act of lowering oneself close to the ground while maintaining tension in the body
3. an attitude or behavior marked by a defensive or suspicious posture towards one’s environment

Etymology: "Grouching" is the present participle and gerund of "grouch," so its story belongs to the verb. "Grouch" descends from Middle English "grouchen," a variant of "grucchen," meaning "to complain, mumble, murmur." That older sense sounds quieter than the modern one: a grouch was someone muttering under their breath rather than loudly protesting. The Middle English verb is itself a variant of "grutch," which carried the same idea of grumbling. The word's sound-shape, with its hard "g" and the "ch" ending, seems to have been what gave it its gruff, throaty character. Over time the mumbling aspect faded, and "grouch" settled into the sense of a bad-tempered person or the habit of complaining about everything.

Synonyms: grumbling, complaining, muttering, grousing, whining

Antonyms: praising, complimenting, approving, cheering, encouraging