Word
groaning
Phoneticsgroan·ing
US/ˈɡɹoʊnɪŋ/
UK/ɡɹˈəʊnɪŋ/
Definition
v. to make a low, heavy sound when you are in pain or very tired. It is an old word that people might use in stories or old songs.
v. to utter a low, heavy sound as a result of pain, fatigue, or distress. Archaic in modern usage; typically appears in historical or literary contexts.
Examples
“The old bridge groaning under the weight of the heavy truck.”
“The old man groaning as he struggled to lift the heavy wooden beam into place.”
“The ancient stone walls began to groaning as the heavy rains continued to fall, signaling the imminent collapse of the crumbling structure.”
Examples
simple
“The old bridge groaning under the weight of the heavy truck.”
contextual
“The old man groaning as he struggled to lift the heavy wooden beam into place.”
complex
“The ancient stone walls began to groaning as the heavy rains continued to fall, signaling the imminent collapse of the crumbling structure.”
Real-World Examples
“Then you hear the moaning, groaning, yelling, swearing and suffering.” “The trees should be groaning with fruit, she tells me, but "we might get 10% of our normal crop here, and that's generous".” Etymology
From Middle English gronynge (“groaning”), from Old English grānung; equivalent to groan + -ing. Conflated with Middle English gronende, present participle of gronen, from Old English grāniende, present participle of grānian (“to groan”). Analyzable as groan + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/groaning