groan
Americannoun
-
groans
plural
-
a low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief.
the groans of dying soldiers.
-
a deep, inarticulate sound uttered in derision, disapproval, desire, etc.
-
a deep grating or creaking sound due to a sudden or continued overburdening, as with a great weight.
We heard the groan of the ropes as the crane lowered the heavy cargo into the ship's hold.
verb (used without object)
-
groans,
present (3rd person singular)
-
groaned,
past participle, past
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groaning
present participle
-
to utter a deep, mournful sound expressive of pain or grief.
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to make a deep, inarticulate sound expressive of derision, disapproval, desire, etc.
-
to make a sound resembling a groan; resound harshly.
The steps of the old house groaned under my weight.
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to be overburdened or overloaded.
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to suffer greatly or lamentably.
groaning under an intolerable burden.
verb (used with object)
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groans,
present (3rd person singular)
-
groaned,
past participle, past
-
groaning
present participle
noun
-
a prolonged stressed dull cry expressive of agony, pain, or disapproval
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a loud harsh creaking sound, as of a tree bending in the wind
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informal a grumble or complaint, esp a persistent one
verb
-
to utter (low inarticulate sounds) expressive of pain, grief, disapproval, etc
they all groaned at Larry's puns
-
(intr) to make a sound like a groan
-
(intr, usually foll by beneath or under) to be weighed down (by) or suffer greatly (under)
the country groaned under the dictator's rule
-
informal (intr) to complain or grumble
Synonym Usage
Groan, moan refer to sounds indicating deep suffering. A groan is a brief, strong, deep-throated sound emitted involuntarily under pressure of pain or suffering: The wounded man groaned when they lifted him. A moan is a prolonged, more or less continuous, low, inarticulate sound indicative of suffering, either physical or mental: She was moaning after the operation. She did not weep, but moaned softly.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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groansimple
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groanssimple
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have groanedperfect
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has groanedperfect
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am groaningprogressive
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are groaningprogressive
-
is groaningprogressive
-
have been groaningperfect progressive
-
has been groaningperfect progressive
Past
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groanedsimple
-
had groanedperfect
-
was groaningprogressive
-
were groaningprogressive
-
had been groaningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of groan
First recorded before 900; Middle English gronen, Old English grānian; cognate with German greinen “to whine”
Explanation
A groan is a sound of pain or disapproval that doesn't consist of words, usually heard after homework is assigned or bad jokes are told. People groan for lots of reasons: headaches, stomachaches, traffic jams, and bad news are just a few groan-worthy things that can provoke that moaning, "uuugghhhhh" sound. If someone is complaining about something, you could say she's "moaning and groaning." People like to moan and groan about the weather, politics, and just about everything else.
Vocabulary lists containing groan
Instead of "Said": Words For Sad Speech
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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Excerpt from "A Raisin in the Sun"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Agron Berani pulled the pump out of his 18-wheeler loaded with steel and electrical supplies bound for Beaumont, Texas, and pointed to the screen with a groan: $944.44.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
At the university, shelves groan with jagged pieces of spines, necks and legs that to an untrained eye resemble battered stones.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Empathy, on stage, becomes a cornerstone of experiencing live performance that pulls heartstrings, inspires raucous laughter or elicits a collective groan when a poorly-hatched plan falters.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
“Otherwise, you sit there and moan and groan and don’t vote. They’re going to do what they want,” David Goodman said.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
I groan, wishing, once again, that I didn’t have to go inside.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
James Tarkowski: Long ball straight to Senne Lammens in the second half drew groans from the crowd and a stream of invective from his manager.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
But even here, the long arm of the crisis is visible, with the TV reception periodically freezing, triggering loud groans from supporters clad in the yellow Brazilian jerseys of stars Vinicius Junior, Neymar and others.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
As a man with a booming voice who gave his name only as Sheriff slammed down a piece to the groans of other players, artillery crackled in the distance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Were those chuckles overpowered by groans and eye rolls?
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Nate groans and rubs the back of his neck.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
All around this one personal tragedy are the sights and smells of many others from that moment Wednesday evening when the earth abruptly groaned and rumbled with quakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5, in rapid succession.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
The door groaned open, and out crawled Ernesto, blinking into the warm Southern California air.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026
In 2017, when he asked if Tesla would use SpaceX tech in its vehicles, Musk groaned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
“They’d cost a lot of money now!” he groaned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2025
Her trunk seemed to have a life all of its own, and she rumbled and groaned almost as if she were talking, which always made Karli giggle.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
For ninety minutes at least, supporters and critics found themselves watching the same screen, celebrating the same attacks and groaning at the same missed opportunities.
From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026
Fast forward nine years, and we find rising negative sentiment among American voters, groaning under the weight of credit card debt and a cascade of junk fees from other industries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2026
In the title role, here not a Greek king but a politician seeking election, Mr. Strong was so forceful you could practically hear the stage groaning with each step he took.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025
Upon hearing the words, “Mom’s not coming back anymore,” Isaac, Israel and Afrika are hysterical, groaning and crying while falling to the ground.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2025
I often leaned on the window sill and watched the huge garage doors groaning up and down, the forklifts whizzing in and out with pallets stacked with crates of delicious fizzy drinks.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
