groaning
/ˈɡɹoʊnɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
groaning is spelled G-R-O-A-N-I-N-G: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, groaning means “That groans” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in groaning?
| Letters | 8: G-R-O-A-N-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 32,798th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is groaning?
Groaning appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,798th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce groaning?
- US /ˈɡɹoʊnɪŋ/
- UK /ˈɡɹəʊnɪŋ/
Groaning has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-groaning.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with groaning?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as groaning from its last stressed vowel (/oʊnɪŋ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of groaning
- groanings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does groaning mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
That groans.
- 2
Heavily laden, as if to creak under the strain.
We sat down to a groaning table and feasted all evening.
noun
- 1
A low sound associated with extended suffering, sorrow, and toil.
- 2
obsoleteEllipsis of groaning time (“childbirth, labour”).
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of groan
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Groaning in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does groaning come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).