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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of moan
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2025
Tonally registering as if carved from a medium-hard piece of oak, his transparent deliveries — mellow whispers, conversational assertions, longing moans, resolute cries — served as effective vessels for those character sketches and autobiographical reflections.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Lynette Rice, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2025
And all that online chatter, all those detractors who keep moaning about the Chiefs playing in the biggest games of the year every year?
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Noun
None of these moans are intended to dismiss the importance of clever in-jokes and references to past adventures.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2025
Tonally registering as if carved from a medium-hard piece of oak, his transparent deliveries — mellow whispers, conversational assertions, longing moans, resolute cries — served as effective vessels for those character sketches and autobiographical reflections.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Verb
Thompson and Nwodim moaned as Gardner said a customer was shot during an argument over Drake and Kendrick.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2025
And all that online chatter, all those detractors who keep moaning about the Chiefs playing in the biggest games of the year every year?
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan
Noun
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The wail of sirens echoed through Marysville on Thursday morning as hundreds lined D Street to honor a fallen officer — the first Marysville police officer killed in the line of duty in more than a century — whose body was ushered to a Placer County funeral home.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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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
Noun
-
The motor produces a whine that is noticeable but not distracting.—
William Roberson,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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Israel Hernandez heard the faint whine of sirens outside his Wilmington apartment and looked up just in time to see a minivan crash into another vehicle as police gave chase.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Both fell to the floor — Delaney groaning in ecstasy, Williams screaming in agony.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2025
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My assumption is that most rational human beings would happily stay in a warm and cozy office and simply listen to the building creak and groan under the force of the violent gusts.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside Online,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Pundits complained last year’s Cannes was a light affair, but that had to do with the bottleneck created by the strikes, for one.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
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While speaking at a dinner hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee on Tuesday, Trump complained over how the U.S. doesn’t manufacturer its own pharmaceuticals stating that tariffs on these products would be forthcoming.—
Joseph Choi,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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According to Desai, during the procedure the volunteer let out a cry of pain, but when questioned about it later the volunteer had no memory.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
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As a result, a cacophony of cries to turn off the mics and burn the audio mixers is rising.—
Essence,
Essence,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The recall began after a consumer made a complaint about the cans containing cashews.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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As a sports medicine physician at at Northwell Health Physician Partners Orthopaedic Institute in New Hyde Park, NY, Dr. Amy West frequently addresses patient complaints about lower back pain.—
Galina Espinoza,
Flow Space,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Polley’s Polley ends up (understandably) screaming in frustration when Matt pratfalls his way into the shot, a tantrum the indie director could hardly relate to as someone known for facilitating calm, peaceful productions on intimate character studies.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
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Footage shared on social media has shown moviegoers screaming, tossing buckets of popcorn in the air and enthusiastically applauding.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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One third of the way into Katie Kitamura’s 2017 novel, A Separation, its narrator asks an elderly Greek woman to demonstrate a traditional funeral lamentation.—
Lidija Haas,
Harper's Magazine,
3 Mar. 2025
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There have been lamentations about the end of an era and anxiety in the fan and creative communities about the risk of over-exploitation of the British super-spy.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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