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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of moan
Michael Cox, The Athletic, 28 Aug. 2024
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
David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Everything seems fine and dandy until nightfall, when Nana spends her evenings crawling around on her hands and knees and moaning.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moan 
Noun
That overrides the crowd reaction to many on-pitch incidents — there are fewer audible moans when a foul is committed, fewer jeers when there’s an opposition shot way off target, and sometimes less of a silence when a goal is conceded.
—Michael Cox, The Athletic, 28 Aug. 2024
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
Verb
There also isn't a dry forehead in the studio, as the tough session has left them all moaning and groaning.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Everything seems fine and dandy until nightfall, when Nana spends her evenings crawling around on her hands and knees and moaning.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
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Cue more sofa wails and pitying looks at family gatherings when relatives ask you about your love life.Olivia Petter, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2024
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Digital was the future, analog was doomed to extinction, the plaintive and few wails from people like me that analog sounded better drowned out in the digital thunder.SPIN Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Fittingly, its most art-averse detractors responded with an awful lot of whine.Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024
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Moreover, as the ramp winched open, the pilots would have experienced a sudden drop in temperature and heard a deafening roar above the whine of the Skyvan’s engines.Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Cracks formed, the house groaned under strain, and the roots broke into my neighbor’s yard, causing tension and costly repairs.Leonie H. Mattison, MBA, EdD, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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The party roared on in Doubles which was decked out in holiday lights, reindeer, sleighs, and a groaning 20-foot buffet table centered with a giant rocking horse surrounded by desserts.Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 15 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The prevailing wisdom was: If you’re not seriously injured, no need to complain.Marina Khidekel, Contributor, CNBC, 28 Dec. 2024
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In many American cities, this perpetuates a cycle by pushing people into surrounding neighborhoods, which causes housed residents to complain more, which leads to more sweeps.Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Social media users were left hysterical by the Frenchie's dramatic reaction and related to the loud cries.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
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The vegan scoop shop is the latest to issue a rallying cry to customers amid challenging economic conditions.Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In September 2017, the complaint states, Rasekhi arrived unannounced at the patient’s home.Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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The complaint, written by a special agent with the FBI, shed new light on the notebook Mangione was found with when he was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9.Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This mix of bright green, blue, pink, and pink in a chrome finish by celebrity nail artist Britney Tokyo just screams NYE party.Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
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There’s also an experimental score by Daniel Blumberg made of bangs and piano plinks and noises that sound like a dozen balloons screaming.Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The present moment demands resolve and affirmative thinking from the foreign policy community about how to sustain and reinforce the international order, not just lamentations about Trump’s destructiveness or resignation about the order’s fate.Jake Sullivan, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2018
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No such resourcefulness is evident in Tesori’s score, which wavers between mid-century film-music heroics and sentimental lamentations, with tame avant-garde gestures popping up here and there.Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near moan
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
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