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
When his attempt to force a second playoff hole rolled just left, the hundreds who gathered around the green were stunned, letting out a collective groan of disbelief. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026 Out comes a guttural groan, her exertion a tight whip cracking open a black hole of pain. — Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
Verb
Despite the lack of goals, the game was exciting with end-to-end runs and missed chances that left fans of both teams groaning and burying their heads in their hands. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026 As Otto groans, Rhaenrya pulls back and cleaves off Otto's head. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 June 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
  • Mourners beat their chests rhythmically in the intense summer heat, the wails of women cutting through the noise as the body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was unveiled beneath a glass case at the Grand Mosalla.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • After a second of consideration, Naim slams the grate shut to the monster’s wails, and the audience’s relief.
    — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 June 2026
Definition of wail
Noun
  • In the decades after his death, Johnson’s loose playing and harrowing moans set American music on a path that would encompass Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, even Nas.
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
  • Sweet tweets, soft moans, the distant caw of a shore bird piloting toward the sea, spirited and hopeful, daylight already breaking through.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of moan
Noun
  • The primary players expected to miss the start of preseason camp next week are recovering from ACL tears, not soft-tissue injuries.
    — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • The term was coined in 1981 based on the cases of four elderly women in Wisconsin who, like the man, had severe destruction of their shoulder joints and massive tears to their rotator cuffs.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
Definition of tears
Noun
  • The crying or whining may reflect excitement and anticipation.
    — Cathy M. Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Wanner was taken by the suspect, leaving behind her 11-month-old daughter in a high chair, where she was later found crying and alone.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of crying
Noun
  • Martin was then immediately handcuffed and arrested as the little girl’s cries were heard from inside the car.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The cries of seagulls, water lapping against the boat, the rumble of engines and the arrival of speedboats ferrying cast and crew give the sense of sharing the actors’ long waits on the open water.
    — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 29 July 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
  • Somewhere in the heated mist hovered the howls of Albert Ayler and the clarion call of his brother Donald’s trumpet, followed by the Ornette Coleman Quartet, saluting him with joyous cacophony.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2026
  • Her Valley girl howl will stop you in your tracks, proclaiming friendship, revolution, and, yeah, lust.
    — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
Definition of howl
Noun
  • For those unable to buy a ticket, fan zones offered communal space to celebrate or lament.
    — Kian Bakhtiari, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Chattel slavery, in all its brutality, Sojourner laments, could not just be forgotten; African Americans needed to be compensated for centuries of hardship.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 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 5 Aug. 2026.

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