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 WebJenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Minutes later, the suspect is seen fleeing from the apartment and a moan is heard from Perkins’ home, the warrant says.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moan 
Noun
Despite many moans, this is the quietest he’s been all day, his focus completely occupied by the crunch, juice and cheese of the tacos.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Minutes later, the suspect is seen fleeing from the apartment and a moan is heard from Perkins’ home, the warrant says.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moan
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near moan
Cite this Entry
“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moan. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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?
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