1
as in groan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
she uttered an agonized moan and clutched her stomach
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to groan
to utter a moan
he moaned and cried for days after his dog, his only companion, died
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
their son moaned whenever anyone asked him to do some work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 moan
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
The audience thought his moans were all part of the act.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2025
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
In fact, regulars’ favorite thing to moan about, year after year, is the ever-mounting cost of Carnival fete tickets and costumes.
—Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
And there, like an old friend, is Cronenberg’s regular composer Howard Shore with a synth moan to keep the mood unnerving.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
The audience thought his moans were all part of the act.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
Having been browbeaten by the negativity of previous coaches Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, having a manager who didn't dismiss the idea the team could be title challengers or moan about a lack of talent was refreshing.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
In fact, regulars’ favorite thing to moan about, year after year, is the ever-mounting cost of Carnival fete tickets and costumes.
—Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
-
So, Nan is nowhere near over Guy, and making things more awkward, Theo can hear his wife’s wails on the other side of the door.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
-
After about seven minutes — and two more rounds of Narcan — the wail of sirens are finally heard.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Pretty soon, the whine of the gears, the shriek of the diff, and the sheer cacophony of combustion make conversation all but impossible.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
28 May 2025
-
Men clad in DayGlo vests and hardhats chatted as the whine of a flying cargo drone echoed through the valley.—
Ben Ayers,
Outside Online,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
The last thing the Mets needed was another injury to a starting pitcher, so when Griffin Canning came off the mound, grabbing his left ankle in the third inning, the Citi Field crowd collectively groaned.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
27 June 2025
-
The all-plastic body doesn’t creak or groan, and the display lid allows surprisingly little flex for a budget laptop.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Waiting for a frustrated customer to complain about blackout dates is defense.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
But this scraping has sparked a huge backlash from publishers, artists and writers, who complain that it has been done without any consent or compensation.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
While Bowie envisioned an Earth careening toward apocalypse in a flamboyant, theatrical cry, Drake’s five leaves are quieter, lonelier — more like the end of a season than the end of a world.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
-
Advertisement For Democrats, the speech served as a rallying cry against Trump’s legislation and as a broader indictment of his second-term priorities and the Republican majority’s alignment with them.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
The Van Tine lawsuit, filed earlier last month, asserts some of the same allegations as the Ornelas complaint.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
-
Ironically, the complaint in question was never even sustained, meaning the civilian investigators ultimately found no misconduct by officers.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
Woman screams as snake attacks—dog jumps in and takes the venom for her The video highlighted the canine parents, with viewers instantly falling in love with the unique puppies.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
-
Expose them to loud noises The sound of a baby screaming or crying can be distressing to your dog.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Give us your final lamentations on this year’s crop of cancellations in a comment below.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
21 May 2025
-
Their music is neither celebration nor lamentation.—
Amir Husain,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share