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
Elsa Ramo, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
There's a push, and suddenly, a newborn's first cry replaces the mother's moans.
—Laura Gómez, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2025
Michael Cox, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Erik Windsor said fire crews removed a manhole cover in the general area of the storm drain opening, inserted a powerful listening device and heard moaning.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
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Noun
Suffice to say, the 2025 Cannes market will be filled with even more groans on moans than years past.
—Elsa Ramo, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
There's a push, and suddenly, a newborn's first cry replaces the mother's moans.
—Laura Gómez, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
There’s no point moaning without offering some kind of solution.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Erik Windsor said fire crews removed a manhole cover in the general area of the storm drain opening, inserted a powerful listening device and heard moaning.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 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 9 Jul. 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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