moan

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moan / mōn/ • n. a long, low sound made by a person expressing physical or mental suffering or sexual pleasure: she gave a low moan of despair. ∎  a sound resembling this, esp. one made by the wind: the moan of the wind in the chimneys. ∎ inf. a complaint that is perceived as trivial and not taken seriously by others: there were moans about the car's feeble ventilation.• v. [intr.] make a long, low sound expressing physical or mental suffering or sexual pleasure: just then their patient moaned and opened his eyes | [with direct speech] “Oh God,” I moaned. ∎  (of a thing) make a sound resembling this: the foghorn moaned at intervals. ∎  inf. complain or grumble, typically about something trivial: [intr.] he joked and moaned about members of his family | my husband moans that I'm not as slim as when we first met. ∎ poetic/lit. lament.DERIVATIVES: moan·er n.moan·ful / -fəl/ adj.

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