Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To voice a deep, inarticulate sound, as of pain, grief, or displeasure.
- intransitive verb To make a sound expressive of stress or strain.
- intransitive verb To utter or express with groans or a groan.
- noun The sound made in groaning.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To breathe with a deep murmuring sound expressive of grief or pain; utter a deep, low-toned, moaning sound: often used figuratively.
- To long or strive with deep earnestness, and as if with groans.
- To express disapproval of or to silence by means of groans: usually with down: as, the speaker was groaned down.
- noun A low, deep, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief; figuratively, any natural sound resembling this, and having a mournful or dismal effect.
- noun A deep murmuring sound uttered in derision or disapprobation: opposed to cheer or applause.
- noun The noise made by a buck at rutting-time.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To affect by groans.
- noun A low, moaning sound; usually, a deep, mournful sound uttered in pain or great distress; sometimes, an expression of strong disapprobation.
- intransitive verb To give forth a low, moaning sound in breathing; to utter a groan, as in pain, in sorrow, or in derision; to moan.
- intransitive verb To strive after earnestly, as with groans.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief.
- noun A low, guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval.
- verb To make a groan.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
- verb indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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Now he has followed it up with (groan) a sequel, _Maelstrom_; _groan_ because the commercial strategy of tying the two books together has necessitated weighing down virtually the first third of what could have just as well been a free-standing novel with a detailed recapitulation of the events of _Starfish_ and their relation to the surface world that almost had me giving up on the book.
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"Let's go Phil!" was the Monday chant, and when the news broke at No. 18 that Glover had retaken the lead, there was the kind of New York groan from the stands that you would expect to hear on a Red Sox homer.
Mickelson unable to deliver U.S. Open title as gift to wife 2009
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He heard footsteps approaching, and drove his spurs so fiercely into the roan as to force a surprised groan from the animal as it leaped forward.
War 2010
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The widespread groan is that Liberals and the ANGRY LEFT want to give your money to fat lazy people and their ungrateful children.
duh pookie 2008
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Every groan from the fiend, every contortion of his body was cheered by the thickly packed crowd of 10,000 persons.
Boing Boing 2008
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When the four captains walked out of the locker room still in red, there was a bit of a groan from the crowd.
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Wagner, the hard-throwing lefty who saved three of New York's first four playoff games, served up a 3-2 pitch to Taguchi that he smacked over the left-field fence leading off the ninth — eliciting a groan from the crowd of 56,349.
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Sacramento worked the ball to Peja Stojakovic in the left corner, but his 3-point shot was way long and way right an airball that brought a collective groan from the crowd.
USATODAY.com - L.A. survives OT in Game 7 to keep Kings off throne 2002
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He heard footsteps approaching, and drove his spurs so fiercely into the roan as to force a surprised groan from the animal as it leaped forward.
War 1913
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Felicity and Cecily were setting out a lunch in the pantry when we were all startled by a loud groan from the sofa.
The Story Girl Lucy Maud 1911
dailyword commented on the word groan
Jim and Artie would do this a lot when they were hurt.
July 25, 2013
natalie_portmanteaux commented on the word groan
Groan, a portmanteau of grunt and moan.
March 8, 2020