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
Inside Chase Center, where there were more empty seats than usual, the crowd groaned.
—
Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
The color of the sort of deep bruising normally associated with OSHA violations, Chicago’s uniforms herald long periods of bed rest and a night table groaning from the weight of so many prescription painkillers.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Jan. 2026
That legendary multiyear circumnavigation, a 45-minute sequence marked by paranoia, hallucinations, death, disease, starvation, groaning silence and crushing despair, makes for one of the most casually brutal depictions of transoceanic voyaging ever committed to film.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
At the same time, the catalogue groans under the weight of all the local talent working at the cutting edge of the form.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for groan
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Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
The color of the sort of deep bruising normally associated with OSHA violations, Chicago’s uniforms herald long periods of bed rest and a night table groaning from the weight of so many prescription painkillers.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Jan. 2026
That legendary multiyear circumnavigation, a 45-minute sequence marked by paranoia, hallucinations, death, disease, starvation, groaning silence and crushing despair, makes for one of the most casually brutal depictions of transoceanic voyaging ever committed to film.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
At the same time, the catalogue groans under the weight of all the local talent working at the cutting edge of the form.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for groan
Cite this Entry
“Groan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groan. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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
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