groaned; groaning; groans
1
: to utter a deep moan indicative of pain, grief, or annoyance
groaned when she saw the bill
2
: to make a harsh sound (as of creaking) under sudden or prolonged strain
The chair groaned under his weight.
: to utter or express with groaning
groaned their despair
groan
noun
Examples of groan in a Sentence
The wounded man groaned in pain.
She groaned when she saw the bill.
“Oh, no,” she groaned, “I'm going to have to start all over.”
She groaned that she would have to start all over.
Merchants are groaning over slow holiday sales.
He's always moaning and groaning about his salary.
The chair groaned under his weight.
Recent Examples on the Web
The treetops groaned with wind created by the force of the megafire.
—
Jordan Thomas
may 28, Literary Hub, 28 May 2025
Serious bettors and the people who heard a tip from a friend alike were heavily invested in the day’s earlier races, watching intently on TVs above the wager window and cheering or groaning as horses made their way down the homestretch.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 4 May 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for groan
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jordan Thomas
may 28, Literary Hub, 28 May 2025
Serious bettors and the people who heard a tip from a friend alike were heavily invested in the day’s earlier races, watching intently on TVs above the wager window and cheering or groaning as horses made their way down the homestretch.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 4 May 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for groan
Cite this Entry
“Groan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groan. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
groan
verb1
: to utter a deep moan of pain, grief, or irritation
2
: to make a harsh sound under strain
the chair groaned under my weight
groan
noun
groaner
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share