groan

verb

groaned; groaning; groans

intransitive verb

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.

transitive verb

: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The more desperate the Count is to feast on Ellen, the more intense her nightmares become; resulting in the kind of eye-rolling, softly groaning fits often associated with the eroticized vampire genre. Leah Dolan, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024 In many households, the sign of a good meal is people slumped on the couch with their pants unbuttoned, groaning from eating entirely too much, but still occasionally snacking on whatever food is closest to them. Chris Morris, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024 The animation is solid and the little ones will indeed relish the loud antics and the pratfalls while older ones in the crowd might well groan about the overuse of puns. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024 My muscles groaned against the weight of the skin around them, aching to be set loose. Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for groan 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gronen, from Old English grānian; akin to Old High German grīnan to growl

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of groan was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near groan

Cite this Entry

“Groan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groan. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

groan

verb
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on groan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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