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
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
-
His team-mates celebrated; the Boca players complained furiously, surrounding the referee and pointing at Marchesin.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
-
Many have complained that American alternatives for some foreign imports may be unavailable or are too expensive.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Whatever happened to the political left’s cry that no one is above the law?—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
24 June 2025
-
Police responded at about 9:30 p.m. June 5 to the cries of the woman near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and 6th Street, the police statement said.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
The Biden administration warned that would lead to a huge backlog of complaints and strain the government’s resources, should thousands of borrowers now have to present their cases in court, and would harm borrowers by forcing them to default on their loans in order to possibly get relief.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Officers responded to a burglary complaint about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, when employees at the city’s Parks and Recreation Department told cops someone was stuck in the chimney of a building in Rockwell Park, Bristol Police Lt. Desmond Wilson said.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
The Pacers' star went down and immediately screamed in pain.—
Matt Levine,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
-
White Zinnias These hardy flowers from Mexico have had my heart for years; their bold colors simply scream summer.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
21 June 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 5 Jul. 2025.
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