groaned; groaning; groans
1
: to utter a deep moan indicative of pain, grief, or annoyance
groaned when she saw the bill
2
: to make a harsh sound (as of creaking) under sudden or prolonged strain
The chair groaned under his weight.
: to utter or express with groaning
groaned their despair
groan
noun
Examples of groan in a Sentence
The wounded man groaned in pain.
She groaned when she saw the bill.
“Oh, no,” she groaned, “I'm going to have to start all over.”
She groaned that she would have to start all over.
Merchants are groaning over slow holiday sales.
He's always moaning and groaning about his salary.
The chair groaned under his weight.
Recent Examples on the Web
When prospective recruits were asked to drop and do five pushups, many groaned and struggled, unable to complete the task.
—
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The film played like a real-deal thriller, the people around me screaming and groaning and laughing and shielding their eyes.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Three weekends ago, after his Virginia Tech team beat Cal at Haas Pavilion, coach Mike Young groaned a bit about the challenging coast-to-coast travel that is part of the new Atlantic Coast Conference.
—Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025
Some audience members laughed and groaned, while others stayed silent.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for groan 
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Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
The film played like a real-deal thriller, the people around me screaming and groaning and laughing and shielding their eyes.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Three weekends ago, after his Virginia Tech team beat Cal at Haas Pavilion, coach Mike Young groaned a bit about the challenging coast-to-coast travel that is part of the new Atlantic Coast Conference.
—Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025
Some audience members laughed and groaned, while others stayed silent.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for groan
Dictionary Entries Near groan
Cite this Entry
“Groan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groan. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
groan
verb1
: to utter a deep moan of pain, grief, or irritation
2
: to make a harsh sound under strain
the chair groaned under my weight
groan
noun
groaner
noun
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