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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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
Matt Slater, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
Naturally, Sally’s moans capture everyone’s attention.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 29 Jan. 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
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
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
-
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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Raising the ceiling is often preceded by lots of drama—social security benefits and payments for Medicare and Medicaid will be in danger, are routine cries—as a deadline approaches.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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As Evans and the others sat back down, a cry came out from the back of the peanut gallery.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
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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The Bradenton Herald reported on similar complaints last April when residents of the Foxbrook subdivision said heavy dust from a new housing community caused respiratory issues, poor driving conditions and expensive cleaning costs.—
Victoria Villanueva-Marquez,
Miami Herald,
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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History is littered with lamentations about distraction.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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