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
Air Mail, 19 Apr. 2025
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
Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
The Rockies have been a zombie baseball club for five years now, moaning and trudging along the National League cellar, wandering the darkness, looking for brains to eat.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
The courtroom reverberated with the anguished moans and last breaths of Brianna Kupfer.
—Air Mail, 19 Apr. 2025
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
Verb
Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Erik Windsor said fire crews removed a manhole cover in the general area of the storm drain opening, inserted a powerful listening device and heard moaning.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
The Rockies have been a zombie baseball club for five years now, moaning and trudging along the National League cellar, wandering the darkness, looking for brains to eat.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
-
Thousands of cell phone lights and ear-piercing wails accompanied it.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Air raid sirens, the whine of kamikaze drones and booming detonations reverberated from early evening until dawn as Russia launched what Ukraine's Air Force said was a total of 539 drones and 11 missiles.—
Pavel Polityuk,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Behind the door, Red groaned, then gave himself a self-motivating shout.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Concerns that the Texas power grid, managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), could soon begin to groan under the weight of surging demand, led the Texas Legislature to pass Senate Bill 6 (SB 6) in the 2025 session.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Verb
-
A number of Tesla shareholders, including some Democrats who oversee the investment of public sector pension fund money in Tesla stock, complained in May to Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm that Musk’s other activities are hurting the company.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
-
Essentially, the legislation does away with a process that some have complained can be time-consuming and expensive—at least in some cases.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 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 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share