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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of moan
Scott Craven, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025
The smart zombies make the most upsetting noises, sounding like human moans.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Ellis could be heard moaning and could be seen lying on the ground.
—Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
Out comes another moan, this one closer to a laugh as Brandon’s face flashes a smile.
—Scott Craven, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025
The smart zombies make the most upsetting noises, sounding like human moans.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Verb
Julia says, dropping to all fours and moaning amid a pile of straw on the floor.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
Ellis could be heard moaning and could be seen lying on the ground.
—Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
-
The room responded with playful groans.—
Haley Kluge,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
-
More than one person fell victim to wayward gourds that careened down Midland Road to the cheers and groans of an eager audience.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
So, on the night after the murder, the town’s streets were filled with anguished cries from the Inuit—wails of loss and pain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The electric version starts the same, but that plaintive wail sounds more like a call to mischief.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Deciphering the vocalizations involves both sound and context, as a dog’s bark or whine may be tied to its situation, Zhu said.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Boston Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The unfiltered electric soundtrack of the Evija goes from a piercing whine to an ear-splitting shriek.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In recent years, staff have complained of poor working conditions brought on by overcrowding, despite director Laurence des Cars’s 2023 move to cap attendance at 30,000 visitors daily, accompanied by a ticket price increase.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Later that day, the parents of other dancers and talent-show participants complained that my afro had covered up their kids on-screen.—
Questlove,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The artwork depicted a crying boy, emotional over a lack of social media attention.—
Gabriele Regalbuto,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Her dad, Mark, 54, commented with praying, broken heart and crying emojis.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
There’s going to be a lot of oohs and aahs and cries and laughs and love.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Women from the village, who were down washing clothes in the river, heard the cries and rallied the community to help, Dumasá said.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
To date, none of the criminal complaints filed in this case mention any anti-gay text messages, social media posts or comments made by the defendants, whose communications were being secretly monitored and taped by undercover informants and agents.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Shah said the news has led to over 500 complaints.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Chuck and Jim loved the sounds of spaghetti westerns, an influence instantly recognizable in the war-cry screaming sound that permeates his score.—
Bear McCreary,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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