groan
/groun/
Definition
Noun:
- A low, deep sound expressing pain, grief, or disapproval: A groan is an audible expression, often involuntary, that conveys physical suffering, mental distress, or strong objection.
Verb:
- To make a deep, inarticulate sound expressing pain, grief, or disapproval: To utter a groan.
- To be heavily laden or strained: To creak or seem to strain under a heavy weight, either literally or figuratively.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- He let out a groan of pain when he stood up.
- The proposal was met with groans from the audience.
Verb:
- She groaned when she saw the amount of work left to do.
- The old wooden floor groaned under their weight.
Advanced Usage
- "to groan under the weight/burden of something": To suffer or be oppressed by a heavy load or difficult situation.
- The economy is groaning under the weight of new taxes.
- "to groan for something" (literary/archaic): To yearn or long for something intensely.
- The prisoners groaned for freedom.
Variants and Related Words
- Groaner (n, informal): A joke that is so predictable or unfunny it causes people to groan.
- His father is always telling groaners.
- Groaning (adj/n): Used to describe something that is full to the point of straining or the act of making groans.
- A table groaning with food.
Synonyms
- Noun: Moan, sigh, lament, murmur (of complaint).
- Verb: Moan, creak, strain, complain, lament.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Groan out: To say something with a groan.
- He groaned out an apology.
- Groan down (rare/archaic): To force someone to stop speaking by making groans of disapproval.
- The unpopular speaker was groaned down by the crowd.
Related Idioms
- Groan inwardly: To feel dismay or disappointment but not express it aloud.
- When my boss announced the weekend meeting, I groaned inwardly.
Noun
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an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
Verb
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indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
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The students groaned when the professor got out the exam booklets
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The ancient door soughed when opened
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