moan

/moun/

Thân thiện

The old wooden floorboards moan under the heavy footsteps.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A low, prolonged sound expressing physical or mental suffering: A vocal expression of pain, grief, or discomfort.
   • A complaint or expression of dissatisfaction: An utterance of disapproval or discontent, often about a situation.

2. Verb:

   • To make a long, low sound of pain, sorrow, or pleasure: To utter a moan.
   • To complain, lament, or grumble about something: To express discontent or unhappiness verbally.

Examples

• Noun:

  • A low moan came from the injured patient.
  • She let out a moan of despair when she heard the bad news.
  • His constant moans about the workload are tiresome.

• Verb:

  • The wounded soldier moaned in agony.
  • The wind moaned through the old trees.
  • He's always moaning about the high cost of living.

Advanced Usage

• "to have a moan (about something)": (informal) to complain or grumble.
  • We sat down and had a good moan about our boss.
• "moan and groan": to complain persistently and vocally.
  • Stop moaning and groaning and help me fix the problem.

Variants and Related Words

• Moaner (n): A person who complains frequently.
  • Don't be such a moaner; try to see the positive side.
• Moaning (n/adj): The act or sound of moaning; characterized by moans.
  • The constant moaning was getting on my nerves.

Synonyms

• Groan: A deep, inarticulate sound of pain or despair. (Often used interchangeably with 'moan', though a groan can be shorter and may imply more physical effort or resistance.)
• Lament: To express grief, regret, or disappointment mournfully.
• Whine: To complain in a feeble, petulant, or annoying way.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: 'Moan' is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically conveyed alone or in the idiom 'moan and groan'.)

Related Idioms

• "moan and groan": To complain loudly and persistently.
  • The team spent the whole meeting moaning and groaning about the new policy instead of proposing solutions.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

Verb

1. indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
   • The students groaned when the professor got out the exam booklets
   • The ancient door soughed when opened

Từ đồng nghĩa

• groan