MOANS Synonyms: 133 Similar and Opposite Words

moans 1 of 2

noun

plural of moan

as in groans

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

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as in wails

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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as in whines

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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moans

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of moan

as in cries

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

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as in complains

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

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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 moans

Noun

Lori can hardly speak, relying on a young nurse who sits at her side to translate her low, pained moans. — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026 Wails and moans of grief interspersed the chanting, until the small coffin was lowered into the grave. — Victoria Davies, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026 On the second call, the medical alert company employee connected a local 911 call-taker to audio from the home, where the woman's moans of pain and threats by a man could be heard. — David Clarey, jsonline.com, 26 Aug. 2026 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 The moans announced the doubt throughout Riviera’s 18th green amphitheater, a bowl full of thousands of fans unsure if the new guy could do it. — Brody Miller, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026 At the moment that B’Tselem says Hathaleen collapsed, the visuals are jostled but moans of pain can be heard. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026 Two microphones angle towards the duduk to capture resonant moans, creaks, squeaks and honks akin to the bridge’s. — Ruby Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 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 Musselwhite punctuated the music with his harmonica trills and moans while his right knee bounced in time with the rhythms. — Kevin McKeough, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2026 As the video continues, one person can be heard yelling her name while the makeup artist moans in pain. — Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026 The Freight House building creaks and moans underfoot, and passing trains produce little more than a subtle hum. — Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026 Back in the car, Albert moans and groans while Billie shrieks in panic. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026 Passersby hear its shrieks and moans from the road. — Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026 Fennell begins on a black screen and the sound of creaks and moans. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moans

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 groans

Noun

No wet plop of a SpongeBob ice cream bar crashing onto hot asphalt; a child’s apocalyptic wails ensuing.

— Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2026
Memory tends to lose sound quickly, but even years later, Jake’s mother’s wails play with the same staccatos and double chords.

— Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of wails

Verb

Most of the time, Mark just flails, complains, and pouts like a giant baby, and Affleck’s twitchy, rapid-fire delivery can’t give the character any life or depth.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
China is demanding the US ease export bans on high-tech goods, like chipmaking gear; the US bitterly complains about Chinese overproduction and transhipment.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of complains

Noun

One of us would be chosen to recite the poem onstage—a kitsch performance, no doubt, so that an auditorium of adults would be moved to tears.

— Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
The first days of testimony brought tears from witnesses, spectators and jurors, the 9th Street Journal reported.

— Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of tears

Noun

At the hospital in Dollow, mothers sat shoulder to shoulder on narrow beds holding frail children, some too weak to cry while others let out soft whimpers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Earlier this month, a Gardena police officer responded to a report that there were whimpers and cries coming from a self-compacting trash can outside a church.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026

Definition of whimpers

Verb

Set the scene The Homestead screams quirky, artful, and vintage yet restored—capturing a whimsical, fairytale ambiance embellished with hints of Southern charm.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The issue, of course, stems from the sound of rider screams from the coaster drifting into the residential area.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of screams

Noun

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
When news got around that a new movie version of Sense and Sensibility was in the works, cries of dismay rang forth from Bath to Brooklyn.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of cries

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moaning

moans

moat

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“Moans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moans. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of moans

noun

verb

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