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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of moan
Matt Slater, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
Naturally, Sally’s moans capture everyone’s attention.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 29 Jan. 2025
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
Instead, there’s an instrumental dialogue between Robbie Robertson’s guitar, twanging and moaning the blues, and Hudson’s saxophone, reaching for a consoling melody.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
The Al Ittihad manager, former France player and manager Laurent Blanc, said nice things about Al Nassr but also had a gentle moan about having to shut up shop for a month while Saudi Arabia tries to win its first Arabian Gulf Cup for 20 years.
—Matt Slater, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
Naturally, Sally’s moans capture everyone’s attention.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 29 Jan. 2025
Verb
First, a woman near the forge will be moaning about the blacksmith.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
Instead, there’s an instrumental dialogue between Robbie Robertson’s guitar, twanging and moaning the blues, and Hudson’s saxophone, reaching for a consoling melody.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
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Those harsh, swelling wails of warning become the film’s punctuating sonic motif — in stark contrast to the buoyant, babbling vocal interjections of Alexey Shmurak’s unexpected a cappella score, a literal chorus of humanity amid the chaos.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
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Peart also became the band’s primary lyricist, and Lee delivering Peart’s dense and philosophical lyrics with a high, piercing wail became a defining characteristic of Rush’s sound.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Fritz revved the engine, a desperate, needling whine, and the vessel lurched down the airstrip, the chute billowing awake behind him.—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Families fall asleep to the thump of nearby airstrikes and the constant whine of an Israeli drone overhead.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC News,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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There’s also a sense of how the family’s relative privilege comes into play, not just in Johanne’s upbringing (with access to a country cabin), but also through Karin’s point-of-view as a battle-weary feminist activist, who groaned over Kristin’s love of Flashdance as a kid.—
Nicolas Rapold,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2025
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The scene shows Hart in a box at the St. James Theatre, rolling his eyes and groaning to his mother before slipping out to get a drink during the title song of Oklahoma!—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While many people who renounced their citizenship complained of being unhappy with the political climate in the US, another reason for their decision is often taxes, Alistair Bambridge, a partner at Bambridge Accountants, told CNN in August 2020.—
Edward Szekeres,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
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Trump and Vice President JD Vance clashed dramatically with the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office Friday after Zelenskyy complained about Russian President Vladimir Putin.—
Riley Beggin,
USA TODAY,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Sparse piano chords, a slow-blues structure, hovering orchestral arrangements and the cry within Ledisi’s voice all hark back to Nina Simone.—
Jon Pareles,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The phrase became a MAGA rally cry and, in February 2025, it has been stamped on CPAC attendees’ shirts and jackets.—
Alex Hinton,
The Conversation,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The complaint centered specifically on Danielson’s comments during a press conference following Boise State’s season-ending loss in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
22 Feb. 2025
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The complaint names Trump, the U.S. State Department, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as defendants.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Preston Turano, a veterinarian and spokesperson at Felix Cat Insurance, told Newsweek that yelling, screaming, and physical punishment should never be used when training or communicating with your cat.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
23 Feb. 2025
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Moments after an emphatic two-handed jam in the closing seconds that sealed Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s 68-61 upset of Harvard-Westlake on Friday night in Studio City, Tyran Stokes clenched both fists, turned toward his teammates and screamed at the top of his lungs.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The van pulled into the street, and the crowd followed, muttering lamentations.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
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This is a bleak model for those in lamentation over our current moment.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
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