moan

1 of 2

noun

1
: lamentation, complaint
… made a great moan if he had to work …D. H. Lawrence
2
: a low prolonged sound of pain or of grief
a moan of distress

moan

2 of 2

verb

moaned; moaning; moans

transitive verb

1
: to bewail audibly : lament
2
: to utter with moans

intransitive verb

1
2
a
: to make a moan : groan
b
: to emit a sound resembling a moan
the wind moaned in the trees
moaner noun

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
Noun
Reading the emails from school, remembering to pack snacks, buying bigger tops before the old ones get too tight, arranging playdates, vacuuming, supervising homework, potty training, waking in the night to the moans of someone in their cot. Nell Frizzell, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2023 Screams, moans and zombies, as well as dozens of demonic clowns, roamed the Long Beach Convention Center this weekend, all in celebration of the sixth Midsummer Scream convention, celebrating Halloween and horror. Jay L. Clendenin, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2023 In some cases, groans and moans are the product of discomfort, stiffness or pain. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Oct. 2023 Murky, atonal music swells into collections of chords that resembles human moans. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2023 Under the fluorescent lights and with the sound of machines beeping and her mother’s moans, Joey’s anger that had compounded every day Brookdale had dismissed her concerns reached its peak. AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2023 The victim’s pained moans can be heard in the background as the dispatcher instructs the caller to cover the wound with a clean cloth or T-shirt. Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023 At ultra-low speeds, there's often a bit of a stutter when tipping into or out of the throttle, and there's a faint engine moan at times. Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 1 Sep. 2023 When Carol Ann DeMarco, a 50-something actress, writer, and producer, tells people about her new creative project, a comedic mockumentary about pickleball, the response is nearly universal: enthusiasm, followed by a low moan. Beth Teitell, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Aug. 2023
Verb
Fans moan and swear and beg in his comment sections. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 8 Mar. 2024 One man moans after an instructor yanks him by the ankles back down the hill. USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024 The unborn do not appear to be moaning at us from the void, petitioning to be let into life. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 Invariably, parents moan, and adult children cheer. Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024 Some will moan that Biden can’t muster the once-in-a-generation appeal that Barack Obama sparked in Hollywood in 2008. Jon Regardie, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2024 Meanwhile, the stress has induced Whitney into labor, and while Asher crawls on the ceiling Spider Pig-style, Whitney moans in pain on the floor. Anna Tingley, Variety, 13 Jan. 2024 Whispers floated that competitors from France and other countries were moaning and groaning, too. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Dec. 2023 But Ahlam headed straight to her bedroom, moaning from stomach pain that left her unable to speak. Lorenzo Tugnoli, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English mone, from Old English *mān

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of moan was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near moan

Cite this Entry

“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moan. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

moan

1 of 2 noun
1
: a long low sound indicating pain or grief
2
: a sound like a moan

moan

2 of 2 verb
1
: to utter a moan
2
3
: to utter with moans

More from Merriam-Webster on moan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!