moan

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moan

a prolonged low sound as from pain of some sort; a lamentation; groan; grieve; mourn

Not to be confused with:

mown – past participle of mow: He has mown the grass.

moan

(mōn)

a. A low, sustained, mournful cry, usually indicative of sorrow or pain.

b. A similar sound: the eerie moan of the night wind.

2. A complaint: his tiresome moans about his boss.

v. moaned, moan·ing, moans

v.intr.

a. To utter a moan or moans.

b. To make a sound resembling a moan: A saxophone moaned in the background.

2. To complain, lament, or grieve: an old man who still moans about his misspent youth.

v.tr.

1. To bewail or bemoan: She moaned her misfortunes to anyone who would listen.

2. To utter with moans or a moan.

[Middle English mone, from Old English *mān; see mei-no- in Indo-European roots.]

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.

moan

(məʊn)

1. a low prolonged mournful sound expressive of suffering or pleading

2. any similar mournful sound, esp that made by the wind

3. a grumble or complaint

4. to utter (words) in a low mournful manner

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

6. (usually intr) to grumble or complain (esp in the phrase moan and groan)

[C13: related to Old English mǣnan to grieve over]

ˈmoaner n

ˈmoanful adj

ˈmoaning n, adj

ˈmoaningly adv

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

moan

(moʊn)

n.

1. a prolonged, low, inarticulate sound uttered from physical or mental suffering.

2. any similar sound: the moan of the wind.

3. a complaint or lamentation.

v.i.

4. to utter moans, as of pain or grief.

5. (of the wind, sea, trees, etc.) to make a sound suggestive of such moans.

6. to complain; grumble.

v.t.

7. to utter with a moan.

8. to lament or bemoan: to moan one's fate.

[1175–1225; Middle English mone, man(e) (n.), related to Old English mǣnan to mourn]

moan′er, n.

moan′ing•ly, adv.

moan

Past participle: moaned
Gerund: moaning

Imperative
moan
moan

Present
I moan
you moan
he/she/it moans
we moan
you moan
they moan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	moan - an utterance expressing pain or disapproval groan utterance, vocalization - the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
Verb	1.	moan - indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure; "The students groaned when the professor got out the exam booklets"; "The ancient door soughed when opened" groan 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"

moan

verb

1. groan, sigh, sob, whine, keen, lament, deplore, bemoan, bewail 'My head, my head,' she moaned.

2. (Informal) grumble, complain, groan, whine, beef (slang), carp, bitch (slang), grouse, gripe (informal), whinge (informal), bleat, moan and groan, grouch (informal) I used to moan if I didn't get at least 8 hours' sleep.

3. sigh, whisper, murmur, sough The wind moaned through the shattered glass.

noun

1. groan, sigh, sob, lament, wail, grunt, whine, lamentation She gave a low choking moan and began to tremble violently.

2. (Informal) complaint, protest, grumble, beef (slang), bitch (slang), whine, grouse, gripe (informal), grouch (informal), kvetch (U.S. slang) They have been listening to people's gripes and moans.

3. sigh, whisper, murmur the occasional moan of the wind around the house

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

moan

noun

A long, mournful cry:

bay, howl, ululation, wail, yowl.

verb

To utter or emit a long, mournful, plaintive sound:

bay, howl, ululate, wail, yowl.

Translations

أنين، نَحيب، تأوُّهيَتَأوَّه، يَعْوِل، يَئِنُّيَشْكو، يَتَذَمَّريَنْدُبُ

sténatreptatsténání

beklage sigjamrestønnestønnentuden

Stöhnen jammern klagen lamentieren nölen

στενάζω

gemido gemir quejarse quejido queja

vaikeroida

gémir gémissement maugréer mugir râler

stenjati

siránkozik

kvartastunastynja

lamentarsi gemito gemere lamento lamentela

うめく

신음 소리를 내다

aimana

gaudasgaustiesvaidētvaidsžēloties

reptaťstonanie

ječanjestokatitarnati

klaga

บ่น

inlemekşikâyet etmekiniltiinleme

rên

呻吟呻吟声呼啸悲叹抱怨

moan

[məʊn]

A. N

1. (= groan) [of person, wind, trees] → gemido m

2. (= complaint) → queja f

B. VI

1. (= groan) → gemir

2. (= complain) → quejarse
they're moaning about the food again → han vuelto a quejarse de la comida
she's always moaning about something → siempre se está quejando de algo

C. VT

1. (= groan) → decir gimiendo, decir con un gemido

2. (= complain) "why does it always have to be me?" he moaned → -¿por qué siempre me toca a mí? -se quejó

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

moan

[ˈməʊn]

[pain] → gémissement m

(= complaint) → plainte f
to have a moan → pleurnicher

(in pain) → gémir

(= complain) → pleurnicher
She's always moaning → Elle est toujours en train de pleurnicher.
to moan about sth → pleurnicher pour qch
You're always moaning about money → Tu es toujours en train de pleurnicher pour l'argent.

(= lament) → geindre

moan

(= groan) → Stöhnen nt; (of wind) → Seufzen nt, → Raunen nt (geh); (of trees etc) → Raunen nt (geh)

(= grumble) → Gejammer nt no pl (inf); to have a moan about something → über etw (acc) → jammern or schimpfen

(= groan) → stöhnen; (wind, trees) → raunen (geh)

(= grumble) → jammern, schimpfen (→ about über +acc); moan, moan, moan, that’s all she does → sie ist ständig am Maulen (inf)

vt …, he moaned → … stöhnte er; he moaned a sigh of relief → er stöhnte erleichtert auf

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

moan

[məʊn]

1. n (gen) → gemito, lamento; (complaint) → lamentela, lagna

2. vi (gen) → gemere
to moan (about) (fam) (complain) → lamentarsi (di)

moan

(məun) verb

1. to make a low sound of grief, pain etc. The wounded soldier moaned.

2. to complain. She's always moaning about how hard she has to work.

noun

a sound (as if) of grief, pain etc. a moan of pain; the moan of the wind.

moan

→ يَنْدُبُ sténat jamre stöhnen στενάζω quejarse vaikeroida gémir stenjati lamentarsi うめく 신음 소리를 내다 kreunen klage lamentować gemer стонать klaga บ่น inlemek rên 呻吟

moan

n. quejido, gemido, queja, lamento;

vr. quejarse, lamentarse.

moan

n gemido; vi gemir

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References in classic literature ?

In that case, of course, people are not spiteful in silence, but moan; but they are not candid moans, they are malignant moans, and the malignancy is the whole point.

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Steerforth, fallen back stiffly in her chair, and making no sound but a moan, cast her eyes upon her with a wide stare.

View in context

A look in the eyes of a shipmate, a low murmur in the most sheltered spot where the watch on duty are huddled together, a meaning moan from one to the other with a glance at the windward sky, a sigh of weariness, a gesture of disgust passing into the keeping of the great wind, become part and parcel of the gale.

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It sounded at first like a door opening and shutting in the next room; and then there was a dull moan. I clutched M.

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From then until possibly midnight all was silence, the silence of the dead; then, suddenly, the awful moan of the morning broke upon my startled ears, and there came again from the black shadows the sound of a moving thing, and a faint rustling as of dead leaves.

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I DWELT alone In a world of moan, And my soul was a stagnant tide, Till the fair and gentle Eulalie became my blushing bride - Till the yellow-haired young Eulalie became my smiling bride.

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It went on for an hour, then the tired child went to sleep, and it was pitiful to hear her moan and nestle, and I couldn't do anything for her.

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I had seen the heads and faces of ten youths gashed in every direction by the keen two-edged blades, and yet had not seen a victim wince, nor heard a moan, or detected any fleeting expression which confessed the sharp pain the hurts were inflicting.

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Monty gave a little gasp and then a moan. His eyes were fixed with a fascinating glare upon those five cards which Trent had so calmly laid down.

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"I kin remember when her two feet was no bigger dan yer t'umb, and she weared worsted boots," moaned she.

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Well, I don't know, I don't know," moaned Nancy, with a shake of her head as she turned away.

View in context

Recalled to the bedside by the moans of his patient, the Kind- hearted Physician administered a stimulant, a tonic, and a nutrient, and went away.