1
: lamentation, complaint
… made a great moan if he had to work …—
D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence2
: a low prolonged sound of pain or of grief
a moan of distress
moaned; moaning; moans
2
a
: to make a moan : groan
b
: to emit a sound resembling a moan
the wind moaned in the trees
Synonyms
Examples of moan in a Sentence
Noun
She let out a long, deep moan.
the moan of the wind
the moan of the car's engine
Verb
The wounded soldier moaned in pain.
He moaned with pleasure as she rubbed his back.
We were all moaning about the cold, rainy weather.
He's always moaning about his salary.
The children were moaning and groaning all morning, but their mother would not let them go outside.
I'm tired of all his moaning and groaning about his salary.
“But I don't want to go,” moaned the boy.
The wind moaned in the trees.
Recent Examples on the WebThe Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 21 Oct. 2024
In that study, both sexes reported their symptoms equally and exhibited the same amount of moans and complaints.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2024
Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
The officers try to stand him up, but McAlpin – still moaning – cannot stand.
—Emily Palmer, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moan 
Noun
As diners dip into the salty pat of butter before them, the room goes silent save for an occasional moan.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 21 Oct. 2024
In that study, both sexes reported their symptoms equally and exhibited the same amount of moans and complaints.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
Warren wrote: Wounded women and children crying and moaning, horribly mangled by the bullets … Two Indian men were killed in the hole … Seven women were killed … and three children, two of them in their mothers’ arms.
—Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
The officers try to stand him up, but McAlpin – still moaning – cannot stand.
—Emily Palmer, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moan
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near moan
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moan. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
moan
1 of 2 noun1
: a long low sound indicating pain or grief
2
: a sound like a moan
moan
2 of 2 verbLove words? Need even more definitions?
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