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.
Meanings
A low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief.
let out a groan
A low, guttural sound uttered in frustration, disapproval, or ecstasy.
(of an object) A low creaking sound from applied pressure or weight.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
graen
Scotland, alternative
lexicographic
groane
alternative
lexicographic
groans
Number=Plur
lexicographic
grane
Scotland, alternative
lexicographic
grain
Scotland, alternative
lexicographic
Translations (50)
ko 신음 (low mournful uttered sound) · pl jęk (low mournful uttered sound) · eo ĝemo (low mournful uttered sound) · az vayıltı (low mournful uttered sound) · az inilti (low mournful uttered sound) · pt suspiro (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · fr râle (low mournful uttered sound) · ru стон (low mournful uttered sound) · ota زار (low mournful uttered sound) · fr gémissement (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · ca sospir (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · tr inleme (low mournful uttered sound) · de Ächzen (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · gl alaio (low mournful uttered sound) · sv stön (low mournful uttered sound) · ca gemec (low mournful uttered sound) · ja 呻き (low mournful uttered sound) · kea jemidu (low mournful uttered sound) · gl laio (low mournful uttered sound) · la gemitus (low mournful uttered sound) · grc στεναγμός (low mournful uttered sound) · az zarıltı (low mournful uttered sound) · ar أَنِين (low mournful uttered sound) · bg пъ́шкане (low mournful uttered sound) · ja 呻き声 (low mournful uttered sound) · ga ochlán (low mournful uttered sound) · ca rondineig (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · fr grognement (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · de Stöhnen (low mournful uttered sound) · de Seufzen (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · uk сто́гін (low mournful uttered sound) · de Knarren (low creaking sound from applied pressure or weight) · ota زار (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · ca cruixit (low creaking sound from applied pressure or weight) · arz أَنِين (low mournful uttered sound) · fi urina (low mournful uttered sound) · bg стон (low mournful uttered sound) · pt gemido (low mournful uttered sound) · fi urina (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · es quejido (low mournful uttered sound) · ar آهَة (low mournful uttered sound) · bg охкане (low mournful uttered sound) · mi ngū (low mournful uttered sound) · fr grondement (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · fr gémissement (low mournful uttered sound) · cs sten (low mournful uttered sound) · bg стон (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · tr inilti (low mournful uttered sound) · bg тежка въздишка (low guttural sound uttered in frustration or disapproval) · fr râlement (low mournful uttered sound)
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.
Meanings
To make a groan.
The wooden table groaned under the weight of the banquet.
My Lord of Hereford here whom you call King, / Is a foule traitour to proud Herefords King, / And if you crowne him let me propheſie, / The bloud of Engliſh ſhall manure the ground, / And future ages groane for this foule act, [...] 1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
Designed to accommodate 60,000 people per day in the 1960s, the main concourse, entrances and passageways around the station were by then positively groaning under the weight of more than 140,000 passengers every 24 hours. 2020 July 29, Paul Stephen, “A new collaboration centred on New Street”, in Rail, page 54:
We groaned at his awful jokes.
(figuratively) To seemingly creak under the strain of being heavily laden.
Bookshelves groan under the bloated weight of tomes detailing Great Straight Marriages. 1979 February 10, John Mitzel, “Crimes of Passion”, in Gay Community News, volume 6, number 28, page 13:
Whenever Ms. Rompoti’s curvy protagonist, an event planner named Sienna, was in a scene, the A.I. constantly referenced her weight, for example, noting that a chair groaned when she sat down. 2026 February 8, Alexandra Alter, “The New Fabio Is Claude”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
That night the table in the outer dining room was just groaning with good things. 1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 14, column 1:
(obsolete) To strive after earnestly, as if with groans.
Nothing but holy, pure, and clear, / Or that which groaneth to be so. [1633], George Herbert, edited by [Nicholas Ferrar], The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
graen
Scotland, alternative
lexicographic
groans
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
groaning
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
grain
Scotland, alternative
lexicographic
groaned
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
groaned
Tense=Past
lexicographic
groane
alternative
lexicographic
grane
Scotland, alternative
lexicographic
Deriveds
agroan (Derived from noun or verb) · groan tube (Derived from noun or verb) · groaner (Derived from noun or verb) · groanful (Derived from noun or verb) · groanworthy (Derived from noun or verb) · groansome (Derived from noun or verb) · groany (Derived from noun or verb) · groanless (Derived from noun or verb) · begroan (Derived from noun or verb)
Translations (62)
mi ngū (to make a groan) · cmn 呻吟 (to make a groan) · tr inlemek (to make a groan) · bg пъшкам (to make a groan) · es soltar un quejido (to make a groan) · mi wheowheo (to make a groan) · fr grogner (to make a groan) · gl lanxir (to make a groan) · pt gemer (to make a groan) · ro geme (to make a groan) · nl zuchten (to make a groan) · bg стена (to make a groan) · fr gronder (to make a groan) · mi hāware (to make a groan) · la gemō (to make a groan) · fur gemi (to make a groan) · cs sténat (to make a groan) · gl cuincar (to make a groan) · be е́нчыць (to make a groan) · oc gemegar (to make a groan) · gl xumiar (to make a groan) · sv kvida (to make a groan) · de stöhnen (to make a groan) · fr râler (to make a groan) · it gemere (to make a groan) · hu nyög (to make a groan) · fa نالیدن (to make a groan) · ru стона́ть (to make a groan) · gl laiar (to make a groan) · mi wheo (to make a groan) · grc στενάζω (to make a groan) · rup dzem (to make a groan) · rup shcljimur (to make a groan) · mi aurere (to make a groan) · ca gemegar (to make a groan) · ar أَنَّ (to make a groan) · fi urista (to make a groan) · bg охкам (to make a groan) · uk стогна́ти (to make a groan) · sv stöna (to make a groan) · sc tunchiare (to make a groan) · ja 呻く (to make a groan) · no stønne (to make a groan) · sh stenjati (to make a groan) · gl impar (to make a groan) · pl jęczeć (to make a groan) · ko 신음(呻吟)하다 (to make a groan) · nrf honner (to make a groan) · de ächzen (to make a groan) · fr gémir (to make a groan) · gl aruixar (to make a groan) · gl xemer (to make a groan) · vi rên (to make a groan) · sv jämra (to make a groan) · gl arquexar (to make a groan) · lut ʔagəq (to make a groan) · eo ĝemi (to make a groan) · arz آنّ (to make a groan) · da stønne (to make a groan) · ar تَأَوَّهَ (to make a groan) · sne bidoing (to make a groan) · ckb ناڵاندن (to make a groan)