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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of moan
Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2025
This time, Mary looked famine-struck and spoke mostly in pained moans.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
In fact, regulars’ favorite thing to moan about, year after year, is the ever-mounting cost of Carnival fete tickets and costumes.
—Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
The audience thought his moans were all part of the act.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2025
This time, Mary looked famine-struck and spoke mostly in pained moans.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
Having been browbeaten by the negativity of previous coaches Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, having a manager who didn't dismiss the idea the team could be title challengers or moan about a lack of talent was refreshing.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
In fact, regulars’ favorite thing to moan about, year after year, is the ever-mounting cost of Carnival fete tickets and costumes.
—Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
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Staying put In Kyiv, residents have adjusted to the regular wail of sirens and periodic explosions.—
Dominique Soguel,
Christian Science Monitor,
28 Apr. 2025
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In this ode to deception, stark ironies become the self-punishing wail of survivors.—
William Logan,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Roxy doesn't take her eyes from the screen, and when Aishah turns the camera to show what's happening in the movie, Roxy can be heard making a noise somewhere between a growl and a whine.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Apr. 2025
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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
Verb
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The Friday night crowd at Target Field groaned once Koss’ line drive found grass, then showered Paddack with applause for his efforts.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
9 May 2025
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Broken skybridge Elsewhere across the Southeast Asian megacity, glitzy glass-and-steel buildings home to expensive real estate swayed and groaned when the quake hit, showering dust onto the ground.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Many complain about a lack of tort reform, unrestricted attorney advertising or litigation funding, all of which contribute significantly to the scam.—
Robert Tyson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
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The firing after a nearly 30-year run appeared to surprise Starkey, after reports that Daltrey was not happy with the drummer’s performance at a March Royal Albert Hall gig, complaining from stage that Starkey’s loud playing was throwing him off.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Full of surprises, family time, performing, chilling, laughing, loving, smiling and good meaningful cries.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
26 May 2025
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This savvy sleeper responds to babies’ cries by activating its sound and motion features.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The complaint alleged the men locked O.C.G. in a room for several days and released him only after his sister paid a ransom.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 May 2025
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In 2023, 20 students suffered from the rare condition when they were made to do over 400 push-ups as punishment, according to the complaint.—
Kate Linderman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Heard screamed and dropped to the ground with the knife beside him.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
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After 'tremendous commotion,' Cassie screamed, 'Isn't anybody seeing this?' Some of the most compelling testimony has come from former Combs former personal assistant, George Kaplan.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Their music is neither celebration nor lamentation.—
Amir Husain,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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