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
As a result, many in the baseball world have grumbled and groaned about the massive spending Los Angeles is doing on the open market.
—
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The crowd groaned, and some even booed, as the 7-footer showcased a fairly standard one-handed dunk.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
The onslaught of bad news elicited howling in Canada, groans in Atlanta and frenetic Googling to determine just what, exactly, is the hamate bone.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
When dinner was served, some of the highest flyers of Chicago were laid low, falling to the floor, groaning in agony and vomiting.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for groan
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Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 16 Feb. 2026
The crowd groaned, and some even booed, as the 7-footer showcased a fairly standard one-handed dunk.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
The onslaught of bad news elicited howling in Canada, groans in Atlanta and frenetic Googling to determine just what, exactly, is the hamate bone.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
When dinner was served, some of the highest flyers of Chicago were laid low, falling to the floor, groaning in agony and vomiting.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 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 18 Feb. 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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