groan 1 of 2

noun

Definition of groannext
1
as in wail
a crying out in grief when the underdogs lost the playoffs, the groans of millions of disappointed fans were heard throughout the land

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in moan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief let out a groan when he tried to stand on the sprained ankle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

groan

2 of 2

verb

ˈgrōn How to pronounce groan (audio)
as in to moan
to utter a moan heard someone groaning in pain

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of groan
Noun
An underwhelming and nearly green-less teaser first dropped back in March to the enormous groans of Green Lantern faithful everywhere. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Not long afterward, witnesses heard groans and heavy breathing as the spiritual adviser put her hands on his shoulders and prayed over him. — CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
Whatever the result, Sunday’s election in the state of Saxony-Anhalt is a clear signal flare that the foundations of modern Germany are groaning. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 More than 200 walruses were hauled out on the beach, grunting and groaning, wriggling and jostling for position. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for groan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for groan
  1. wail
  2. moan
  3. tears
  4. crying
  5. cry
  6. lamentation
  7. howl
  8. lament
Noun
  • Feverish with feeling, the women scream, wail and sob, each one experiencing her misery multiply in real time as the remaining two look on in disdain.
    — Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Geddy Lee, Rush No bassist’s singing voice has ever created a more pronounced contrast with his instrument than Rush’s Geddy Lee, who moved the piercing wail of influences like Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant up another octave.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of wail
Noun
  • Lori can hardly speak, relying on a young nurse who sits at her side to translate her low, pained moans.
    — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Wails and moans of grief interspersed the chanting, until the small coffin was lowered into the grave.
    — Victoria Davies, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of moan
Noun
  • Saldivar wiped away tears when prosecutors played her full 911 call in court.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Her barbs are sharp enough to bring even Regina George to tears.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of tears
Noun
  • Authorities said the baby was next to the dumpster, breathing and crying, with the umbilical cord still attached.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Sensing others might also be feeling glum, Ted delivers a pep talk about how crying is okay in football.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of crying
Noun
  • Lacking life detection equipment, the workers strained to hear their cries.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The anticipation builds until the silence is pierced by the curling cry of the ancient instrument.
    — Ben Corn, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of cry
Noun
  • Ḥusayn’s death became for the Shiʿah a symbol of selfless resistance against worldly injustice and tyranny and is commemorated with lamentation each year on Ashura.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 July 2026
  • Moments of humor sit alongside lamentation and ritual intensity, underscoring the exhibition’s refusal of a single, fixed reading.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of lamentation
Noun
  • With every whimper, sigh, howl, bark and head tilt, these dogs create an empathetic portrayal of a highly intelligent creature that has been through battle and has the scars (and nightmares) to prove it.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The howls of outrage from an undisclosed location in Europe reached our shores.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of howl
Noun
  • Williams intermittently cuts to ominous exterior shots of a dark church and layers in a score of hymnal lament.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That ambiguity is echoed in Banks’ score, which takes on the tone of a lament and a celebration, frustration and hope, struggle and liberation, the quest for transcendence in the face of the challenges posed by daunting inequities.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of lament

Browse Nearby Words

grizzling
groan
groaned
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Cite this Entry

“Groan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/groan. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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