Groan
/ɡroʊn/noun
To make a deep, inarticulate sound of pain, grief, or annoyance; also, that sound itself.
Did you know?Groan comes from Old English grānian, and it’s related to a small family of Germanic words for making harsh, strained sounds—not a spell, but definitely a word born from human anguish.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*grainōną
“to groan, complain, or make a harsh sound”
Old English
OE
grānian
“to groan, lament, or make a deep mournful sound”
Middle English
ME
gronen
“to groan or lament”
Modern English
English
groan
“to make a deep sound of pain, grief, or annoyance”