# groaning

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈɡɹoʊnɪŋ/ · frequency rank #32,829

## Definitions
1. That groans.
2. Heavily laden, as if to creak under the strain.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **growing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groaning-vs-growing)
- **groping** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groaning-vs-groping)
- **grouping** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groaning-vs-grouping)
- **grooming** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groaning-vs-grooming)
- **growling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groaning-vs-growling)
- **grounding** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/groaning-vs-grounding)
- **grazing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grazing-vs-groaning)
- **grading** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grading-vs-groaning)
- **grating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grating-vs-groaning)
- **granting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/granting-vs-groaning)
- **grinning** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grinning-vs-groaning)
- **greening** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/greening-vs-groaning)
- **gloating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gloating-vs-groaning)

## Common misspellings (12)
`ggroaning`, `goraning`, `graoning`, `groainng`, `groanign`, `groaningg`, `groaninng`, `groannig`, `groanning`, `gronaing`, `grroaning`, `rgoaning`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/groaning