1
: lamentation, complaint
… made a great moan if he had to work …—
D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence2
: a low prolonged sound of pain or of grief
a moan of distress
moaned; moaning; moans
2
a
: to make a moan : groan
b
: to emit a sound resembling a moan
the wind moaned in the trees
Examples of moan in a Sentence
Noun
She let out a long, deep moan.
the moan of the wind
the moan of the car's engine
Verb
The wounded soldier moaned in pain.
He moaned with pleasure as she rubbed his back.
We were all moaning about the cold, rainy weather.
He's always moaning about his salary.
The children were moaning and groaning all morning, but their mother would not let them go outside.
I'm tired of all his moaning and groaning about his salary.
“But I don't want to go,” moaned the boy.
The wind moaned in the trees.
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Gómez, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2025
The eyes start rolling and the moans come out when dudes get super gooned.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 6 May 2025
Carrie Brownstein, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for moan
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Noun
There's a push, and suddenly, a newborn's first cry replaces the mother's moans.
—Laura Gómez, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2025
The eyes start rolling and the moans come out when dudes get super gooned.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 6 May 2025
Verb
But the Francophone descriptor fails to conjure the dust her voice kicks up, the grit and moan that hang in the air after each song.
—Carrie Brownstein, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for moan
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moan. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
moan
1 of 2 noun1
: a long low sound indicating pain or grief
2
: a sound like a moan
moan
2 of 2 verbLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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