1
: lamentation, complaint
… made a great moan if he had to work …—
D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence2
: a low prolonged sound of pain or of grief
a moan of distress
moaned; moaning; moans
2
a
: to make a moan : groan
b
: to emit a sound resembling a moan
the wind moaned in the trees
Synonyms
Examples of moan in a Sentence
Noun
She let out a long, deep moan.
the moan of the wind
the moan of the car's engine
Verb
The wounded soldier moaned in pain.
He moaned with pleasure as she rubbed his back.
We were all moaning about the cold, rainy weather.
He's always moaning about his salary.
The children were moaning and groaning all morning, but their mother would not let them go outside.
I'm tired of all his moaning and groaning about his salary.
“But I don't want to go,” moaned the boy.
The wind moaned in the trees.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
David Opie, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025
Shows that not all football teams need to be Champions League contenders and not all fans need to be moaning about the failings of their club.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for moan 
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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
Men writhe and moan in the shadows just out of sight as a young gay man walks through the dark room at Adonis, Copenhagen’s only gay sauna.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025
Shows that not all football teams need to be Champions League contenders and not all fans need to be moaning about the failings of their club.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for moan
Dictionary Entries Near moan
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moan. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
moan
1 of 2 noun1
: a long low sound indicating pain or grief
2
: a sound like a moan
moan
2 of 2 verbLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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