groan

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈɡɹoʊ̯n/ UK /ˈɡɹəʊ̯n/ See IPA manual

Freq #9691

Meanings

1

verb
indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure

The students groaned when the professor got out the exam booklets.
2

noun
A low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief.

Let out a groan.
3

verb
To make a groan.

We groaned at his awful jokes.
4

verb
To seemingly creak under the strain of being heavily laden.

That night the table in the outer dining room was just groaning with good things.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · indicate pain, discomfort,... moan

Word family

Forms groaninggroans

Derived forms agroanbegroangroanergroanfulgroanlessgroansomegroanworthygroany

Simplified etymology

Groan is an Old English word related to grin. The source identifies this Germanic relationship but does not provide a fuller account of its earlier form or original meaning.

Etymology

From Middle English gronen, granen, from Old English grānian (“to groan; lament; murmur”), from Proto-West Germanic *grainōn, from Proto-Germanic *grainōną (“to howl; weep”), from Proto-Germanic *grīnaną (“to whine; howl; whimper”). Cognate with Scots grain (“to cry, scream”), Dutch grijnen, grienen (“to cry; sob; blubber”), German Low German grienen (“to whimper; mewl”), German greinen (“to whine; whimper”), Swedish grina (“to howl; weep; laugh”). The noun is from Middle English gron, grone, from the verb.

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# groan

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈɡɹoʊ̯n/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɡɹəʊ̯n/
**Frequency rank:** 9691

## Meanings
1. indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
2. A low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief.
3. To make a groan.
4. To seemingly creak under the strain of being heavily laden.

## Examples
- The students groaned when the professor got out the exam booklets.
- Let out a groan.
- We groaned at his awful jokes.
- That night the table in the outer dining room was just groaning with good things.

## Derived Forms
- agroan
- begroan
- groaner
- groanful
- groanless
- groansome
- groanworthy
- groany

## Etymology
From Middle English gronen, granen, from Old English grānian (“to groan; lament; murmur”), from Proto-West Germanic *grainōn, from Proto-Germanic *grainōną (“to howl; weep”), from Proto-Germanic *grīnaną (“to whine; howl; whimper”). Cognate with Scots grain (“to cry, scream”), Dutch grijnen, grienen (“to cry; sob; blubber”), German Low German grienen (“to whimper; mewl”), German greinen (“to whine; whimper”), Swedish grina (“to howl; weep; laugh”). The noun is from Middle English gron, grone, from the verb.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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