GROAN | Meaning In The Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of groan in English groannoun [ C ] uk /ɡrəʊn/ us /ɡroʊn/ Add to word list Add to word list C2 a deep, long sound showing great pain or unhappiness: We could hear the groans of the wounded soldiers. a complaining noise or phrase: groan of He looked at the piles of dirty dishes and gave a groan of dismay.

• The rescuers could hear the groans of someone trapped in the rubble.
• A groan went up from around the office when the electricity went off.
• The groans of the wounded and dying could be heard all over the battlefield.
• He gave a terrible groan before collapsing to the ground.
• We heard great groans coming from the nextdoor delivery room, followed by bloodcurdling shrieks.

Sounds made by humans with their mouths

• catcaller
• catcalling
• caterwauling
• crow
• crunch
• crunch on something
• cry
• death rattle
• rasp
• raspberry
• spluttery
• squall
• squally
• ululate
• ululation
• unsounded
• wail
• whistle
• whoop
• yelp

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Sadness and regret Pain & painful Complaining groanverb [ I ] uk /ɡrəʊn/ us /ɡroʊn/

groan verb [I] (MAKE SOUND)

C2 to make a deep, long sound showing great pain or unhappiness: He collapsed, groaning with pain. [ + speech ] "Not again," he groaned (= said in a low unhappy voice). to complain or speak unhappily: moan and groan She's always moaning and groaning (= complaining a lot) about the weather.

• He groaned with pain before losing consciousness.
• He groaned at the sight of all the dirty dishes piled everywhere.
• When the computer crashed again, he groaned with frustration.
• "I'm fed up with you moaning and groaning all the time!," she shouted.
• The crash victim groaned as they lifted her gently onto a stretcher.

Sounds made by humans with their mouths

• catcaller
• catcalling
• caterwauling
• crow
• crunch
• crunch on something
• cry
• death rattle
• rasp
• raspberry
• spluttery
• squall
• squally
• ululate
• ululation
• unsounded
• wail
• whistle
• whoop
• yelp

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Sadness and regret Pain & painful Complaining

groan verb [I] (HAVE TOO MUCH)

to carry or have a very large quantity of something: At this time of year the plum trees are groaning with fruit. His bookshelves groan under works by Turgenev, Chekhov, and Camus. Souvenir stalls groan under the weight of tacky merchandise. We were greeted by the sight of groaning buffet tables. to find it difficult to manage or continue because you have too much of something: After little investment in infrastructure for 25 years, the transport system is groaning. The hospitals are already groaning with urgent cases. Households are groaning under unprecedented amounts of debt. They groan under the weight of too many expectations.

• The dining table groans beneath platters of cakes, pastries, cookies and fruit.
• The judicial system is groaning under heavy case loads.
• Our groaning jails are actually making crime worse.

Physical supports and supporting

• abutment
• bearing
• bolster
• bookend
• buoy
• burden
• buttress
• load-bearing
• modillion
• pier
• pile
• pillar
• prop
• prop something up phrasal verb
• rafter
• runner
• sinew
• underpin
• unsupported
• weight-bearing

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Experiencing difficulties (Definition of groan from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

groan | American Dictionary

groannoun [ C ] us /ɡroʊn/ Add to word list Add to word list a low, sad sound that is continued for a while and that is made by someone who is suffering from pain or unhappiness: Nick let out a groan. (Definition of groan from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of groan

groan The machinery might well have creaked and groaned, but printers and authors could still have felt intimidated by its operation. From the Cambridge English Corpus At this point, the bandaged puppet groaned and made a sad face. From the Cambridge English Corpus Private enterprise at the present time is groaning under the burdens of taxation. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 They also argued that the country groaned under too much bureaucracy and that therefore individual freedom and creativity were being suppressed. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 One presses buttons and says "leaders", and one gets a chorus of groans; one says "elite", and one gets a chorus of groans. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 Moans and groans and the shaking of a head. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 In spite of the groans and despondency which we hear all around and in which we indulge ourselves, the picture is not universally gloomy. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 The whole country is groaning under a burden of taxation so heavy that it is materially diminishing our chance of recovery. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 They, together with the teachers, civil servants and gas workers, who have all been groaning under the burden, are sent empty away. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I am sorry to hear some groans behind me. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 There has been moaning and groaning, but people have carried on. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 They have said, first, that industry has been groaning under a burden of taxation. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 I am extremely glad that recruiting is good and that we have not heard moans and groans about recruiting. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 More than that, millions now groaning under the iron yoke of tyranny will be given new hope of life. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 The judiciary are now required to preside over a system of criminal and civil justice increasingly groaning under the strain of under-resourcing and understaffing. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 See all examples of groan These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. What is the pronunciation of groan?

Translations of groan

in Chinese (Traditional) （表示痛苦的）呻吟聲, （表示不高興的）哼哼聲，嘆息聲, 抱怨聲，埋怨的話… See more in Chinese (Simplified) （表示痛苦的）呻吟声, （表示不高兴的）哼哼声，叹息声, 抱怨声，埋怨声… See more in Spanish gemido, gemir, gruñir… See more in Portuguese gemido, rangido, gemer com desalento… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Russian in Telugu in Arabic in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian कण्हण्याचा आवाज, वेदना किंवा दुःखाने विव्हळण्याचा आवाज, नापसंतीने ओरडण्याचा आवाज… See more （低い声で）うめく, （低い）うめき声, うめく… See more inlemek, inilti sesi çıkarmak, inilti… See more gémir, grogner, gémissement [masculine]… See more gemegar, gemec… See more kreunen, kermen, kraken… See more மிகுந்த வலி அல்லது சோகத்தைக் காட்டும் ஆழமான, நீண்ட ஒலி, ஒரு புகார் சத்தம் அல்லது சொற்றொடர்… See more (पीड़ा या दुख दर्शाती आवाज़) कहराना, कराहट, रोष… See more ઊંહકાર, નિસાસો નાખવો, ઊંહકારો ભરવો… See more stønne, bugne, stønnen… See more stöna, jämra sig, digna av… See more mengerang, keluhan… See more stöhnen, ächzen, das Stöhnen… See more stønne, suse, stønn [neuter]… See more کراہنا, کراہ کر درد کا اظہار کرنا, دھمکی آمیز ڈانٹ… See more стогнати, стогін… See more стонать… See more ఆర్తనాదం/ గొప్ప నొప్పి లేదా అసంతృప్తిని చూపే లోతైన, దీర్ఘమైన ధ్వని, మూలుగు/ ఫిర్యాదు చేస్తున్నట్టున్న శబ్దం లేదా పదబంధం… See more يَتَأوّه, يَئنّ, تَاوّه… See more গভীর আর্তনাদ, অসন্তোষ প্রকাশ, কাতরানো… See more (za)sténat, povzdechnout, sten… See more menggeram, geraman… See more คราง, เสียงคราง… See more rên rỉ, tiếng rên… See more jęczeć, jęk… See more 신음하는 소리를 내다, 끙 하는 소리… See more gemere, mugugnare, mugugno… See more Need a translator?

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• English   Noun
  • Verb 
    • groan (MAKE SOUND)
    • groan (HAVE TOO MUCH)
• American   Noun
• Examples

• Translations
• Grammar
• All translations

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