1
as in groan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
she uttered an agonized moan and clutched her stomach
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2
as in wail
a crying out in grief
moans arose from the crowd as the funeral procession for the well-loved senator made its way down the street
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3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
the crowd responded with a moan when it was announced that the rest of the show would be cancelled due to the weather
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1
as in to groan
to utter a moan
he moaned and cried for days after his dog, his only companion, died
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2
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their son moaned whenever anyone asked him to do some work
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of moan
Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
With 1:06 left in the first period, Montreal’s Nick Suzuki ties it 1-1 and a collective moan echoes across the rink — one that the Cardinals players have heard on the field at Busch Stadium when something goes wrong.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
This was a departure from Mourinho and Conte, who both moaned about investment, attacked the club culture, exited unceremoniously, and bad-mouthed them afterward.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
This time, Mary looked famine-struck and spoke mostly in pained moans.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
With 1:06 left in the first period, Montreal’s Nick Suzuki ties it 1-1 and a collective moan echoes across the rink — one that the Cardinals players have heard on the field at Busch Stadium when something goes wrong.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
Others had their heads and arms bandaged and were lined up on stretchers, moaning.
—Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
This was a departure from Mourinho and Conte, who both moaned about investment, attacked the club culture, exited unceremoniously, and bad-mouthed them afterward.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
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Augustina and Blessing are proof of that, milling outside the prison walls, caught between madcap laughter and wails of pain — the polarities of grief.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2025
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War within a war Rosalinda Cabanillas lets out a guttural wail that echoes across the entire cemetery.—
Isobel Yeung,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Inside the fence, the atmosphere was oddly peaceful, and sometimes so quiet that the loudest noise was the whine of an overhead drone.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
6 May 2025
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The motor produces a whine that is noticeable but not distracting.—
William Roberson,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Tables groaned with treats: plates of seafood, bowls of Greek salad, tubs of plump olives.—
Tony Perrottet,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2025
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The auteur’s new ensemble film practically groans under the weight of A-list headliners such as Benicio Del Toro, Benedict Cumberbatch, Riz Ahmed, Jeffrey Wright and Tom Hanks.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 May 2025
Verb
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During a ski vacation in the seventh episode, Ginny complains that Nick is not being fully present with her friends.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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One Truist customer complained on DownDetector that their rent payment has been pending since Thursday evening.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Noun
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The last flareup in the early 2010s involved a string of self-immolation incidents that critics called a desperate cry against the Chinese government’s ever-tightening grip on Tibetan society.—
Steven Jiang,
CNN Money,
1 May 2025
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Little of that matters to those anti-NFL folks on TikTok and to others resurrecting the bygone cries of league protesters over the Kaepernick situation.—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Russell Brand rape, assault charges follow BBC apology The charges against Brand follow a formal apology given by the BBC to employees in January over its handling of harassment complaints against the comedian during his tenure at the network.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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After a press tour rife with rumors of behind-the-scenes issues between the two, Lively filed an official complaint against him with the California Civil Rights Department.—
Emily Trainham,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
Verb
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People could be heard screaming and crying in the video, which appeared to show several people injured on the ground and baggage strewn about, as first responders attended to the scene.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
4 May 2025
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Her lawyers and family members also celebrated by screaming and hugging each other, per a video from the courtroom.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
3 May 2025
Noun
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Studio Nicholas Venezia In Janáček’s Quartet No. 1, the Takács ratcheted up the genre’s conversational quality into high drama, widening the expressive gulf between the opening lamentation and the skittering response.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
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Biblical-style lamentations over Israel’s final corruption have been a staple of the state’s critics and die-hard anti-Zionists for 70 years.—
Martin Kramer,
Foreign Affairs,
8 June 2016
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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