groan
Americannoun
-
groans
plural
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a low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief.
the groans of dying soldiers.
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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)
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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
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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:
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
Dunham’s haters then are just as likely to groan upon a rewatch.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
When Australia's Lucas Herbert missed a five-foot par putt on the last, there was a grimace from him and a groan from the galleries.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
As I set off, the shoes emitted a peppy clip-clop and a satisfying groan of distressed leather with each step.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
“Cut!” yelled the director as an entire film crew let out a groan of exasperation.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
I down three iced lattes daily, a habit I refuse to break even as my bank account groans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Well, what exactly are you talking about, Whoopi?” he answered, generating groans from the studio’s audience.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 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
A second big speech toward the end will almost certainly get groans that are as much our fault as his.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
The prophet snickers, the lore-master groans, and everyone else waits to see whether or not it’s an idle threat.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Some of the damaged buildings groaned with each new rumble of the earth, as Venezuela endured more aftershocks.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
His friends groaned and tried to shush him; he waved them off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2026
The door groaned open, and out crawled Ernesto, blinking into the warm Southern California air.
From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026
“Man oh man, this is bowling-shoe ugly,” groaned Mauro Ranallo, the Netflix announcer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025
The twins groaned and Danny nodded while stuffing his mouth full of pancakes before Freddy could take them from his plate.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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
Why are the patrons, transfixed by curious gladiating on a screen, screaming with delight one minute and groaning miserably the next?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
Jenrick managed to be late to his own defection, in the latest dollop of farce on a day groaning with drama, jeopardy, skulduggery and plotting.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026
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
There was groaning from around the lecture hall, and Max laughed as he stepped back and Anita took his spot.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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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.
