groan

verb

ˈgrōn 

groaned; groaning; groans

intransitive verb

1

: to utter a deep moan indicative of pain, grief, or annoyance

groaned when she saw the bill

2

: to make a harsh sound (as of creaking) under sudden or prolonged strain

The chair groaned under his weight.

transitive verb

: to utter or express with groaning

groaned their despair

groan noun

Synonyms

• moan
• wail

Examples of groan in a Sentence

The wounded man groaned in pain.

She groaned when she saw the bill.

“Oh, no,” she groaned, “I'm going to have to start all over.”

She groaned that she would have to start all over.

Merchants are groaning over slow holiday sales.

He's always moaning and groaning about his salary.

The chair groaned under his weight.

Recent Examples on the Web

My muscles groaned against the weight of the skin around them, aching to be set loose. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024

Harris searches his pockets – as McAlpin groans – dumping out his earbuds, keys and loose change. —Emily Palmer, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024

Trees groaning in the wind, underwater ambience off the coasts of Iceland, Indonesia, and Los Angeles. —Oren Peleg, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024

The car then begins to drive as the man, still laying down, continues to yell and groan in the back seat. —Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gronen, from Old English grānian; akin to Old High German grīnan to growl

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

groan

verb

ˈgrōn 

1

: to utter a deep moan of pain, grief, or irritation

2

: to make a harsh sound under strain

the chair groaned under my weight

groan noun

groaner noun