Groan if you will, but a good writer will have grown with their work, encompassing writing and editing skills. And, yep, I can hear y’all groaning louder and louder, lol.
Depending upon pronunciation, this Word Confusion pair can be an heterograph.
If you’ve grown weary of this post, you may want to explore “Grown Up vs Grown-Up vs Grownup“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Groan | Grown |
|---|---|
 — |
 |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive
Plural for the noun: groans Third person present verb: groans |
Past participle of grow
Adjective; Verb, intransitive & transitive Third person present verb: grows |
| Noun: A deep inarticulate sound made in pain, despair, derision, disapproval, desire, etc.
A low creaking or moaning sound made by an object or device under pressure A loud harsh creaking sound, as of a tree bending in the wind Verb, intransitive:
[Of a thing] Make a low creaking or moaning sound when pressure or weight is applied
Verb, transitive: |
Adjective: Advanced in growth Arrived at full growth or maturity
Verb, intransitive:
Become larger or greater over a period of time
[With complement] Become gradually or increasingly
To form and increase in size by a process of inorganic accretion, as by crystallization To become gradually attached or united by or as if by growth [Nautical] To lie or extend in a certain direction, as an anchor cable Verb, transitive: Allow or cause a part of the body to grow or develop Cause something, especially a business to expand or increase |
| Examples: | |
| Noun: All around us were the groans of dying soldiers. The position will require you to listen with sincerity to everyone’s moans and groans. We listened to the protesting groan of timbers, hoping the ship would hold together long enough for us to get to the lifeboats. We heard the groan of the ropes as the crane lowered the heavy cargo into the ship’s hold. Verb, intransitive: “Oh God!” I groaned. The old oak groaned as the wind whipped through its branches. James slumped back into his chair, making it groan and bulge. Tables groaned with joints of venison. Too many families were groaning under mortgage increases. The steps of the old house groaned under my weight. Verb, transitive: They all groaned at Larry’s puns. |
Adjective: Paul is a grown boy. He’s a grown man, and grown men don’t cry. Verb, intransitive: A growing number of people are coming to realize this. Sharing our experiences, we grew braver. She grew to like the friendly, quiet people at the farm. Above 975 K, only one nucleus had grown within the simulation time. Our friendship had grown from common interests. His influence has grown. The branches of the trees had grown together, forming a natural arch. Without knowing it, we had grown old. “Care must be taken in this operation that the second anchor is let go [if the riding cable has grown] right ahead” (Marine Biz). Verb, transitive: They had grown more and more crops for export. She had grown her hair long. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: groaning, ungroaning Adverb: groaningly Noun: groaner, undergroan |
Adjective: grown-ass, grown-up, half-grown, ungrown Noun: grown-up |
| Phrasal Verb | |
| grown apart grown into grown on grown out grown out of grown up |
|
| History of the Word: | |
| Old English grānian is of Germanic origin and related to the German greinen meaning cry or whine; also to grinsen meaning grin and also probably to grin. | Old English grōwan (originally referring chiefly to plants) is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch groeien, also to grass and green. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Groan versus Grown
Apple Dictionary.com
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Porter Carrying Clay Pots Strapped to A-frame on His Back is courtesy of Cornell University Library and has no known copyright restrictions, via VisualHunt.
Revised as of 13 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie