1
as in groaning
to utter a moan
he moaned and cried for days after his dog, his only companion, died
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complaining
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
as in crying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 moaning
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
The deputies ultimately roll him over before putting on handcuffs as Mull can be heard moaning in pain.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
The recognizable munchies didn't stop the cast members from moaning, groaning and throwing up as usual.
—Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
In one of the videos, she's seen rinsing her eye in a hospital sink, while moaning from the discomfort.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2025
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
The patient is actually a training dummy that instructors can manipulate into yelling, moaning, retching, suffering blood pressure spikes, heart attacks and other medical emergencies.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
There’s something moaning in the background.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
The deputies ultimately roll him over before putting on handcuffs as Mull can be heard moaning in pain.
—Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
The recognizable munchies didn't stop the cast members from moaning, groaning and throwing up as usual.
—Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
In one of the videos, she's seen rinsing her eye in a hospital sink, while moaning from the discomfort.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2025
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
The patient is actually a training dummy that instructors can manipulate into yelling, moaning, retching, suffering blood pressure spikes, heart attacks and other medical emergencies.
—Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moaning
Verb
-
Jones was groaning, and the witness then heard the male subject, who was wearing a blue hooded track suit with his hood over his head, leaning over Jones.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The recognizable munchies didn't stop the cast members from moaning, groaning and throwing up as usual.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Foulla Niotis says her 17-year-old daughter, Maria, and Maria's best friend, Isabella Salas, were run down and killed by Maria's stalker despite months of complaining to police.—
Eric Shawn,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
For Gen Z, complaining can be a way to set boundaries, speak up, and try to hold companies accountable.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But his crying scene in Ford v Ferrari is one for the ages.—
Michael Granberry,
Dallas News,
17 Jan. 2020
Verb
-
In a video testimony, the man, whose name was not released, is seen falling to his knees and sobbing.—
Diaa Ostaz,
ABC News,
16 Oct. 2025
-
And then as soon as the standing ovation started, I was started sobbing again.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Obviously, there is a bird on the hood, the screaming chicken.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Pointed gestures toward the lingering tension between Japan and Korea — and between those two countries and the rest of the planet — are drowned out by tiresome bickering and exaggerated gags, like a meaningful conversation swallowed into the sound of an airplane engine screaming overhead.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Aaron Chown—Press Association via AP Images People remove a new artwork by Banksy, depicting a howling wolf painted on a satellite dish that was placed on a shop roof in Peckham, south London.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Get ready for a wild ride in Kansas City as a weather system will send temperatures plummeting and usher in howling winds, rain and maybe some light snow on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The floor buffers come out, whining like jet engines in the hallways, erasing over a month’s worth of shoe scuffs that made the place look like the dasher boards at the hockey rink.—
Mark Glende,
Twin Cities,
15 Oct. 2025
-
While there is anecdotal evidence that suggests dogs display addictive-like behaviors towards their toys, such as whining if a toy is out of reach or playing despite being injured, this study put it to the test.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Jason Kelce, brother of Travis and former star of the Philadelphia Eagles, has issued a statement after a fake quote of him appearing to criticize those unhappy with the selection of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl Halftime Show went viral.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement Lawmakers are reportedly unhappy with briefings on the strikes, unable to clarify the legal basis of the strikes, and the refusal from Pentagon officials to provide unedited video footage of such incidents.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moaning. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share