groan

Also found in: Thesaurus, Acronyms, Idioms, Wikipedia.

groan

a deep, mournful sound of pain or grief: the groans of a woman in labor; a grating or creaking sound due to burdening with a great weight: the groan of a heavy-laden ship navigating a turbulent ocean

Not to be confused with:

grown – advanced in growth: a grown boy; arrived at full growth or maturity; produced or cultivated in a certain way or place: The corn was grown in Kansas.

groan

(grōn)

v. groaned, groan·ing, groans

v.intr.

1. To voice a deep, inarticulate sound, as of pain, grief, or displeasure.

2. To make a sound expressive of stress or strain: floorboards groaning.

v.tr.

To utter or express with groans or a groan.

The sound made in groaning.

[Middle English gronen, from Old English grānian.]

groan′er n.

groan′ing·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

groan

(ɡrəʊn)

1. a prolonged stressed dull cry expressive of agony, pain, or disapproval

2. a loud harsh creaking sound, as of a tree bending in the wind

3. informal a grumble or complaint, esp a persistent one

4. to utter (low inarticulate sounds) expressive of pain, grief, disapproval, etc: they all groaned at Larry's puns.

5. (intr) to make a sound like a groan

6. (intr, usually foll by beneath or under) to be weighed down (by) or suffer greatly (under): the country groaned under the dictator's rule.

7. (intr) informal to complain or grumble

[Old English grānian; related to Old Norse grīna, Old High German grīnan; see grin]

ˈgroaning n, adj

ˈgroaningly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

groan

(groʊn)

n.

1. a low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief.

2. a deep, inarticulate sound uttered in derision, disapproval, etc.

3. a deep grating or creaking sound due to a sudden or continued overburdening, as with a great weight.

v.i.

4. to utter a deep, mournful sound expressive of pain or grief; moan.

5. to make a deep, inarticulate sound expressive of derision, disapproval, etc.

6. to make a sound resembling a groan; resound harshly: The steps of the old house groaned under my weight.

7. to be overburdened or overloaded.

v.t.

8. to utter or express with groans.

[before 900; Middle English gronen, Old English grānian, c. Old High German grīnan to grimace]

groan′er, n.

groan′ing•ly, adv.

groan

Past participle: groaned
Gerund: groaning

Imperative
groan
groan

Present
I groan
you groan
he/she/it groans
we groan
you groan
they groan

Preterite
I groaned
you groaned
he/she/it groaned
we groaned
you groaned
they groaned

Present Continuous
I am groaning
you are groaning
he/she/it is groaning
we are groaning
you are groaning
they are groaning

Present Perfect
I have groaned
you have groaned
he/she/it has groaned
we have groaned
you have groaned
they have groaned

Past Continuous
I was groaning
you were groaning
he/she/it was groaning
we were groaning
you were groaning
they were groaning

Past Perfect
I had groaned
you had groaned
he/she/it had groaned
we had groaned
you had groaned
they had groaned

Future
I will groan
you will groan
he/she/it will groan
we will groan
you will groan
they will groan

Future Perfect
I will have groaned
you will have groaned
he/she/it will have groaned
we will have groaned
you will have groaned
they will have groaned

Future Continuous
I will be groaning
you will be groaning
he/she/it will be groaning
we will be groaning
you will be groaning
they will be groaning

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been groaning
you have been groaning
he/she/it has been groaning
we have been groaning
you have been groaning
they have been groaning

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been groaning
you will have been groaning
he/she/it will have been groaning
we will have been groaning
you will have been groaning
they will have been groaning

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been groaning
you had been groaning
he/she/it had been groaning
we had been groaning
you had been groaning
they had been groaning

Conditional
I would groan
you would groan
he/she/it would groan
we would groan
you would groan
they would groan

Past Conditional
I would have groaned
you would have groaned
he/she/it would have groaned
we would have groaned
you would have groaned
they would have groaned

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	groan - an utterance expressing pain or disapproval moan utterance, vocalization - the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
Verb	1.	groan - indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure; "The students groaned when the professor got out the exam booklets"; "The ancient door soughed when opened" moan let loose, let out, utter, emit - express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words); "She let out a big heavy sigh"; "He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand"

groan

verb

1. moan, cry, sigh The man on the floor began to groan with pain.

2. (Informal) complain, object, moan, grumble, gripe (informal), beef (slang), carp, bitch (slang), lament, whine, grouse, bemoan, whinge (informal), grouch (informal), bellyache (slang) His parents were beginning to groan about the cost of it all.

3. creak, grind, grate, rasp The timbers groaned and creaked in the wind.

noun

1. moan, cry, sigh, whine She heard him let out a pitiful, muffled groan.

2. (Informal) complaint, protest, objection, grumble, beef (slang), grouse, gripe (informal), grouch (informal) I don't have time to listen to your moans and groans.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

أنينيَئِنّ يَئِنُّ

sténatúpěnípovzdechnoutsten

stønnestønnenbugne

ächzen Stöhnen

βογγώ

gemido gemir gruñido gruñir quejarse

voihkaistavoihkia

gémir gémissement râler

stenjati

andvarpa, stynjastuna

gemere lamentarsi gemito gèmito essere carico

うなる

신음하다

dejonėdejuotisudejuotivaitojimasvaitoti

līkt/lūztstenētvaidētvaids

kreunen

stønne stønn bære seg

jęknąć

gemer gemido

аханье ахнуть стон стонать

stonzastonať

ječatistokanje

stöna

คราง

inlemek inilti

kêu rên

呻吟呻吟声

groan

[grəʊn]

A. N [of pain, dismay etc] → gemido m, quejido m; (= mumble) → gruñido m

B. VI

1. → gemir, quejarse; (= mumble) → gruñir, refunfuñar

2. (= creak) [tree, gate etc] → crujir
borrowers are groaning under the burden of high interest rates → los prestatarios están agobiados por la carga de los altos tipos de interés
the table groaned under the weight of all the food → la mesa crujía bajo el peso de toda esa comida

C. VT "yes," he groaned → -sí -gimió

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

groan

[ˈgrəʊn]

[pain] → gémissement m

[disappointment, disapproval] → grognement m

(with pain) → gémir
He groaned with pain → Il a gémi sous l'effet de la douleur.

(with impatience, disapproval) → grogner

[trees, timbers] → gémir

vt → grommeler
"Not again!" he groaned → "Ah non, ça suffit!", grommela-t-il.

groan

n → Stöhnen nt no pl; (of gate, planks etc) → Ächzen nt no pl; to let out or give a groan → (auf)stöhnen; moans and groans → Jammern und Stöhnen nt

vi → stöhnen (→ with vor +dat); (gate, planks) → ächzen (→ with vor +dat); the table groaned under the weight → der Tisch ächzte unter der Last; the country groaned under or beneath its burdens → das Land ächzte unter seiner Last; to groan about somebody/something → über jdn/etw stöhnen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

groan

[grəʊn]

1. n (of pain) → gemito

2. vi → gemere; (tree, floorboard) → scricchiolare

groan

(grəun) verb

to produce a deep sound (because of pain, unhappiness etc). He groaned when he heard that he had failed his exam; The table was groaning with food (= there was a great deal of food on it).

noun

a deep sound. a groan of despair.

groan

→ يَئِنّ sténat stønne ächzen βογγώ quejarse voihkaista gémir stenjati lamentarsi うなる 신음하다 kreunen stønne jęknąć gemer стонать stöna คราง inlemek kêu rên 呻吟

groan

v. gemir; quejarse.

groan

n gemido; vi gemir

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

This was lucky; he was about to begin to groan, as a "starter," as he called it, when it occurred to him that if he came into court with that argument, his aunt would pull it out, and that would hurt.

This course worked well, and Tom began to groan again.

View in context

I have to groan heartrendingly in one of them, and it's really hard to get up a good artistic groan, Marilla.

You are simply good for nothing just now with your head stuffed full of dialogues and groans and tableaus.

View in context

He did not rise; he made one slight effort to do so, and then there was a heavy groan. I could have groaned, too, for I was suffering intense pain both from my foot and knees; but horses are used to bear their pain in silence.

View in context

For every sound that floats From the rust within their throats Is a groan. And the people - ah, the people - They that dwell up in the steeple, All alone, And who, tolling, tolling, tolling, In that muffled monotone, Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart a stone - They are neither man nor woman - They are neither brute nor human - They are Ghouls: - And their king it is who tolls: - And he rolls, rolls, rolls, rolls, Rolls

View in context

One after one, by the star-dogged Moon Too quick for groan or sigh, Each turned his face with a ghastly pang, And cursed me with his eye.

View in context

When she had finished her meal, and was about to go back to the road of yellow brick, she was startled to hear a deep groan near by.

View in context

And scarcely had Cornelius made his appearance than a fierce groan ran through the whole street, spreading all over the yard, and re-echoing from the streets which led to the scaffold, and which were likewise crowded with spectators.

View in context

Stiggins something to groan for, but he repressed his inclination, and merely asked, 'What's the old 'un up to now?'

View in context

I lay among the ashes and groaned with the pain of my burn, and groaned also from the desolation of my heart.

View in context

They buy 'em and sell 'em, and make trade of their heart's blood, and groans and tears,--and God lets them."

View in context

CITE

Site: Follow: Share:

Open / Close