To groan is to make a low, drawn-out sound that shows pain, annoyance, or effort. People also say they “groan” at bad jokes when they react with exaggerated dislike.
From Old English “grānian,” meaning “to groan, lament, murmur,” related to Old High German “grēnēn.” The word imitates the deep sound made in discomfort.
Groan is partly an imitation of the sound itself—language copying the noise of human suffering. That’s why we still use it for everything from lifting something heavy to reacting to a terrible pun.
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