MOAN Synonyms: 146 Similar and Opposite Words

moan 1 of 2

noun

ˈmōn

Definition of moan

as in groan

a long low sound indicating pain or grief she uttered an agonized moan and clutched her stomach

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wail

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

as in whine

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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moan

2 of 2

verb

as in to groan

to utter a moan he moaned and cried for days after his dog, his only companion, died

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to complain

to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely their son moaned whenever anyone asked him to do some work

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of moan

Noun

In the decades after his death, Johnson’s loose playing and harrowing moans set American music on a path that would encompass Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, even Nas. — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026 Sweet tweets, soft moans, the distant caw of a shore bird piloting toward the sea, spirited and hopeful, daylight already breaking through. — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Verb

Sam makes a production out of teasing them, mock-reaching for various items on the set as the whole group moans and wails in distress. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026 Endo is the sixth choice midfielder and someone who never moans about his place in the pecking order. — James Pearce, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for moan

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moan

Noun

That brought groans from a commission where the complaints about the marketing plan outnumbered the defenses.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
The good-natured hope from the fanbase dissolved into problematic groans as KC finished 69-93.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of groan

Noun

When the sun goes down, the wind picks up in central New Mexico, whipping through arid canyons with a ghostly howl that for centuries, locals have likened to the wails of the folkloric ghost La Llorona.

— Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
Feverish with feeling, the women scream, wail and sob, each one experiencing her misery multiply in real time as the remaining two look on in disdain.

— Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of wail

Noun

Our Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog saw them too and enthusiastically let out a small whine.

— Kody Lostroh, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026
The mystic whine of Christine Ott and Mathieu Gabry’s score carries us into a hidden world of ancient Thai deities living inside the mountain’s caves and tunnels.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of whine

Verb

That March, a seventy-year-old patient from a wealthy Cypriot family, Evie Lanitis, arrived at BioMed, complaining of a host of minor maladies, including bursitis in her toes, dental pain, and digestive issues.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
In the days before the spill was announced, residents complained of fuel-like odors pervading areas of Dubai and north.

— Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of complain

Noun

On the recording of the 911 call from that day, the operator’s steady voice is in sharp contrast to Nakira’s frantic crying.

— Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
After the agents released him, the student walked to school, crying and in pain.

— Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of crying

Noun

As much an acknowledgment of survival as a rallying cry, the song draws out sadness as well as satisfaction from the audience.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Her friend’s cries mixed with the sound of police car sirens before officers arrived and escorted students and staff out the building.

— Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of cry

Noun

Davis’s letter follows a separate ethics complaint filed by a conservative watchdog group to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics over Slotkin’s University of Chicago remarks, first reported by the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
According to the complaint, an internal review found that just five brokers controlled 6,345 Ticketmaster accounts holding 246,407 tickets.

— James LaForge, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of complaint

Verb

A little girl pounding her fists and screaming; none of the visitors nor the staff were allowed to hold her to provide comfort.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Rays third baseman Junior Caminero screamed in the dugout after Milwaukee had rallied to tie the game.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of scream

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mizzly

moan

moaned

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Moan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moan. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of moan

noun

verb

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