From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmoanmoan1 /məʊn $ moʊn/ ●●○ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive] informalCOMPLAIN to complain in an annoying way, especially in an unhappy voice and without good reason ‘I feel seasick already, ’ she moaned.moan about A lot of people moaned about the parking problems.moan at British English My mum never stops moaning at me.moan that He’s always moaning that we use too much electricity. He moaned and groaned all the way there.► see thesaurus at complain2 [intransitive]CRY to make a long low sound expressing pain, unhappiness, or sexual pleasure SYN groan She moaned and cried out in pain.3 [intransitive] literaryCDN if the wind moans, it makes a long low sound They could hear the wind moaning in the trees. —moaner noun [countable] British English Dad’s a gloomy old moaner.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
moan• Why do people always moan about the weather?• He was moaning and groaning from the enormous weight of it.• She moaned and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.• Sorry to moan, but we trusted you to write the truth.• I lay in bed, moaning in pain.• "But, Mom, there's nothing to do here, " moaned Josh.• He begins to moan quietly, but it is not a distressing noise.• I'm fed up with hearing you moaning the whole time!• Waziri moaned through the gag, spittle and blood running from the side of his mouth.• One night I moaned to Jasper about the shaved ice and about how sick to death I was of paper cups.moan that• My husband, who's 41, hates the fact that I smoke and moans that I eat too much.• Another moaned that Johnny was a little slow putting his hand in pocket.• People do not want to be led by some one moaning that the press is unfair.moanmoan2 noun [countable] 1 CRYa long low sound expressing pain, unhappiness, or sexual pleasuremoan of There was a moan of pain from the injured man. She gave a little moan of pleasure. a low moan2 → have a moan (about something)3 literaryCDN a low sound made by the windExamples from the Corpus
moan• The announcement drew moans from the 150 people at Wednesday's meeting.• This time, though, her moan was more of a squeal.• Her moans of pleasure somehow don't ring true.• He again apologises, this time for his long moan, and asks advice.• A high-pitched moan of machinery and the sound of rushing air filled the structure, loud enough to make conversation difficult.• The water was just right, slid over his skin as he gave out a long low satisfied moan into the steam.low moan• He gave a low moan of despair.• She was about to turn around, when she heard a low moan.• Their whispering and low moans echoed around the empty flat, like ghosts that danced on the ceiling with their shadows.Origin moan2 (1100-1200) From an unrecorded Old English man 