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
1
: to bewail audibly : lament
moaning the loss
2
: to utter with moans
"My stomach hurts," she moaned.
2
a
: to make a moan : groan
injured patients moaning
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
Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Under Hiller, the Kings went into the Olympic break with a whimper and came out of it with a moan.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Matt Slater, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The Freight House building creaks and moans underfoot, and passing trains produce little more than a subtle hum.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moan
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Noun
Where my world was hemmed in by ridgelines and holler roads, Mary Lennox’s world was hemmed in by fog and wind and the low moan of a manor house that seemed to breathe on its own.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Under Hiller, the Kings went into the Olympic break with a whimper and came out of it with a moan.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
One minute later, Pedro Neto was yellow-carded for moaning.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The Freight House building creaks and moans underfoot, and passing trains produce little more than a subtle hum.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moan
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moan. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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
