groan
groan — noun
- groansingular
- groansplural
1. a long, low sound that escapes from someone's mouth when they are in serious phy
a long, low sound that escapes from someone's mouth when they are in serious physical pain, very sad, or strongly unwilling to do something
Eleni let out a loud groan when the dentist touched her sore tooth.
let out a groan — utterance of pain
A groan came from the back when the teacher announced the surprise test.
groan came from — collective sound of displeasure
Samir heard a low groan coming from the injured dog behind the shed.
The old man let out a deep groan as he lowered himself into the armchair.
Noa let out a groan of frustration when the bus left without her.
文法句型
give a groan
let out a groan
用法筆記
Often countable and used with 'let out', 'give', or 'utter'. The sound is typically involuntary — the person cannot easily hold it back.
常見錯誤
2. a remark or short sound that shows you are annoyed, fed up, or dissatisfied with
a remark or short sound that shows you are annoyed, fed up, or dissatisfied with a situation
João had a quiet groan about the cold coffee, then drank it anyway.
have a groan about — informal complaint
Bao let out a groan when he saw the long queue at the ticket counter.
let out a groan — involuntary complaint
The only sound during the team meeting was the occasional groan from exhausted staff.
When the waiter brought the wrong order again, Kofi gave a groan of annoyance.
文法句型
have a groan about
groan about
用法筆記
Common in informal settings. The 'groan' can be a vocal sound or a short spoken complaint. The noun is often part of a fixed phrase such as 'have a groan about' or 'let out a groan'.
常見錯誤
groan — verb
- groanpresent simple I / you / we / they
- groanshe / she / it
- groanedpast simple
- groaning-ing form
1. to let out a long, low vocal sound as an automatic reaction to serious physical
to let out a long, low vocal sound as an automatic reaction to serious physical pain, deep sadness, or strong annoyance
James groaned loudly when he lifted the heavy box and felt a sharp pain in his back.
groaned + with pain — cause of sound
The patient groaned in her sleep as the nurse gently moved her broken leg.
Lan groaned and hid her face when she saw the grade on her exam paper.
Esme groaned at the pile of dirty dishes waiting in the kitchen sink.
The old floorboards groaned under Joon's weight as he walked across the dark hallway.
文法句型
groan with pain
groan in frustration
groan at something
用法筆記
Intransitive — you do not 'groan something'. The cause is introduced by 'with' (groan with pain), 'in' (groan in frustration), or 'at' (groan at the news). Inanimate objects (floors, trees, doors) are sometimes described as groaning when they make a creaking sound under pressure.
常見錯誤
2. to express annoyance or dissatisfaction about something in a grumbling way, ofte
to express annoyance or dissatisfaction about something in a grumbling way, often repeatedly and with a sighing or groaning tone
Walid spent the whole bus ride groaning about the new office rules nobody liked.
groan about — complaining about a topic
Constanza groaned that she had been given three extra tasks right before the weekend.
groaned that + clause — complaining with a statement
The children groaned every time their dad said it was time to do homework.
Stop groaning and just tell me the problem, said the manager with an impatient wave.
文法句型
groan about something
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 1: this sense is specifically verbal complaining, not a purely physical reaction. The groaning can be actual words ('I can't believe this') spoken in a complaining tone, not just a wordless sound.
常見錯誤
3. to be so full of something heavy or numerous that the container or surface seems
to be so full of something heavy or numerous that the container or surface seems to bend or make a sound under the pressure — used of tables loaded with food, shelves packed with books, etc.
The table groaned with bowls of rice, fried fish, and fresh vegetables that Granny had cooked.
groaned with — abundance of food
The wooden library shelves groaned under the weight of hundreds of history books.
groaned under the weight of — physical burden of objects
Bao's suitcase groaned with clothes and souvenirs from the two-week trip to Vietnam.
Every branch of the apple tree groaned with heavy fruit ready to fall.
- overflow with
focuses on excess spilling out, while 'groan with' focuses on the strain of holding too much
- be crammed with
emphasises tight packing; less poetic than 'groan with'
- bend under
more literal physical description of weight
文法句型
groan with
groan under the weight of
用法筆記
Almost always used figuratively about inanimate objects (tables, shelves, trees, bags). The 'groaning' is metaphorical — the object is not actually making a human sound, but seems to bend or creak under the load.
常見錯誤
4. to struggle very hard to keep going because you are carrying an extremely heavy
to struggle very hard to keep going because you are carrying an extremely heavy burden, debt, workload, or responsibility
The village groaned under a drought that had lasted three years.
groaned under the weight of — figurative burden (disaster)
Small businesses are groaning beneath rising rent and energy costs.
groaning beneath — economic burden
The hospital system groaned under the sudden rush of patients during the flu season.
Eleni's team groaned beneath the pressure of three back-to-back project deadlines.
- be weighed down by
suggests being slowed or prevented from moving forward; similar register
- struggle under
more literal and direct about the difficulty; less vivid than 'groan under'
- suffer under
emphasises the harm caused by the burden
- thrive under
to do well despite or because of pressure
文法句型
groan under
groan beneath
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 3: sense 3 is about physical abundance (a table groaning with food), while sense 4 is about an institution, system, or group struggling to cope with an excessive burden. Typically used in formal or journalistic writing.