groan
pronunciation
How to pronounce groan in British English:
UK [ɡrəʊn]
How to pronounce groan in American English:
US [ɡroʊn]
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- Noun:
- an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
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- Verb:
- indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
Word Origin
- groan
- groan: see grin
- groan (v.)
- Old English granian "to utter a deep, low-toned breath expressive of grief or pain; to murmur; to lament," from Proto-Germanic *grain- (cognates: Old Norse grenja "to howl"), of imitative origin, or related to grin (v.). Meaning "complain" is from early 13c., especially in Middle English phrase grutchen and gronen. As an expression of disapproval, by 1799. Related: Groaned; groaning.
- groan (n.)
- late 14c., from groan (v); earlier grane (early 14c.).
Example
- 1. Maybe that groan had been a moan after all ?
- 2. He explained that when president obama made the spilled-milk joke in his ' state of the union ' speech , ' there was a collective groan that went on around the country ' on twitter .
- 3. An agonizing groan finished my sentence .
- 4. You can almost hear gamers groan in unison .
- 5. This can cause people in rem sleep to twitch and groan , sometimes flailing about and injuring their bedmates .