1
as in groans
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 wails
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whines
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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1
as in cries
to utter a moan
he moaned and cried for days after his dog, his only companion, died
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2
as in complains
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
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Recent Examples of moans
Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Most of these are held in a tent, from which loud, ecstatic moans can be heard for seemingly miles around.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025
Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
Stein’s bedroom adjoined the room where Dodge would visit her lover at night; kept awake by the murmurings and moans, Stein lit a candle and composed a portrait of her host.
—Verb
Shannon moans right about the time Jenn walks out to see what the commotion is all about.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for moans
Noun
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Poehler's joke received one of the biggest reactions of the monologue, earning a mixture of laughs and groans.—
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The crowd immediately let out a mix of laughter and groans as Mathews tried to swap his plate for the one in front of Bertinelli.—
Noun
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The ear-splitting wails came from a little girl trying to get the star’s attention.—
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People judge others for the precise pitch of their wails.—
Verb
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At one point, Hujar complains about a call from the artist Ed Baynard.—
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The president calls his wife and complains about the sole of his shoe before heading off to a girls’ basketball event with Angel Reese.—
Noun
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Christopher Patterson's mother held back tears as his family and friends gathered on Friday outside the home where the 23-year-old lost his life two days before.—
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Narrated by Colm Feore and James Hyndman in the English and French versions of the movie, respectively, the 17-minute stop-motion short follows a poor young boy who discovers a girl whose tears, evoked by a sad home life, turn into pristine pearls.—
Noun
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Parents of students with disabilities have increasingly resorted to filing complaints with the state over their schools’ failure to educate their children, and most of the time, state investigators have agreed.—
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MacLeod said many of the complaints his organization hears are like the Johnsons’ and involve third-party utility billing companies hired by landlords.—
Verb
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Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.—
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That stretch screams points, and the wise move might be to start planning your route to Salah.—
Noun
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Demonstrations have included cries in support of the shah, something that could bring a death sentence in the past but now underlines the anger fueling the protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy.—
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Demonstrations have included cries in support of the shah, something that could bring a death sentence in the past but now underlines the anger fueling the protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy.—
Noun
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Earlier this month, a Gardena police officer responded to a report that there were whimpers and cries coming from a self-compacting trash can outside a church.—
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As the puppy lets out another barrage of whimpers, the kitten then looks directly at the camera, as if wondering casually what's going on.—
Cite this Entry
“Moans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moans. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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