1
as in groan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
she uttered an agonized moan and clutched her stomach
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wail
a crying out in grief
moans arose from the crowd as the funeral procession for the well-loved senator made its way down the street
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3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
the crowd responded with a moan when it was announced that the rest of the show would be cancelled due to the weather
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1
as in to groan
to utter a moan
he moaned and cried for days after his dog, his only companion, died
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2
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their son moaned whenever anyone asked him to do some work
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of moan
Tom Duszynski, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Once again inducing moans of agony from Oceanside to Baja when the game mattered most, Padres hitters came up short Thursday.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2025
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Strapped to a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, the shooting victim moaned, then screamed.
—Lauren Caruba, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
Imagine a city street at dusk, silent save for the rising sound of a collective guttural moan.
—Tom Duszynski, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Once again inducing moans of agony from Oceanside to Baja when the game mattered most, Padres hitters came up short Thursday.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Strapped to a stretcher in the back of an ambulance, the shooting victim moaned, then screamed.
—Lauren Caruba, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
-
The ball nestling into the net was greeted with the unique mix of cheers and groans in Viejas Arena that, to the gambling crowd, can mean only one thing.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The video ends as Chakraborty collapses onto a couch and groans in pain with the officer continuing to yell at him to drop the knife.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
-
In some, relatives are seen walking among the black bags, trying to identify the deceased, as wails and screams fill the background.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
No suspicious whine in the air, no burning of pungent oils to put off biters.—
Antonia Quirke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Much of this isn't included in Fennell's version, and early on, many complained the movie seemed to romanticize the abuse in the book.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Dieppa said a nearby daycare complained of cat waste.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Maybe you’ve been told that crying is a sign of weakness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
-
There’s the memory of Richard Sherman standing in front of Earl Thomas in the locker room, shielding a crying teammate while fielding questions about what went wrong.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Bergholm employs some very effective sound design here, giving just a hint of animalistic growling to the kid’s lusty cries.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Joe’s voice rose to a shrill cry.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The complaint was dismissed with prejudice.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
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The data is less clear that dog ownership increased in New York City specifically, but complaints about dog poop left on the ground certainly did.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy — The images of Lindsey Vonn down on the snow, screaming in pain and then being airlifted off the course by helicopter after her crash at the Olympics were a stark reminder of the dangers of the downhill.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
People didn’t scream out answers.—
Jeff Banowetz,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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