What does "groin" mean?
The crease or depression of the human body at the junction of the trunk and the thigh, together with the surrounding region.
Groin
/ɡɹɔɪn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The crease or depression of the human body at the junction of the trunk and the thigh, together with the surrounding region.
- Grammar: groin is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abutment, adductor strain, anchorage, anchorage ground.
- Useful contrasts: abdomen, healthy tissue, torso.
- Usage evidence: Groin injuries can be quite painful.
How to use "groin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "groin" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "groin" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "groin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "groin" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "groin" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abutment" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "groin", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The crease or depression of the human body at the junction of the trunk and the thigh, together with the surrounding region.
"The Mexican levelled nine minutes from time after Steven Gerrard, making his first start since undergoing groin surgery in April, put Liverpool ahead with a 68th-minute free-kick."
- 2 Alternative spelling of groyne. alt-of, alternative
- 3 a protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away wordnet
- 4 The area adjoining this fold or depression.
"He pulled a muscle in his groin."
- 5 a curved edge formed by two intersecting vaults wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 The projecting solid angle formed by the meeting of two vaults
- 7 the crease at the junction of the inner part of the thigh with the trunk together with the adjacent region and often including the external genitals wordnet
- 8 The surface formed by two such vaults.
- 9 The genitals. euphemistic
"He got kicked in the groin and was writhing in pain."
Verb
- 1 To deliver a blow to the genitals of.
"In the scrum he somehow got groined."
- 2 To grunt; to growl; to snarl; to murmur.
"Such tunges ſhuld be torne out by the harde rootes,"
- 3 build with groins wordnet
- 4 To build with groins.
- 5 To hollow out; to excavate. literary, transitive
"Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped / Through granites which titanic wars had groined."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Groin injuries can be quite painful."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "groin"?
Common synonyms include: abutment, adductor strain, anchorage, anchorage ground, arc-boutant, arch dam.
How do you use "groin" in a sentence?
Groin injuries can be quite painful.
How do you pronounce "groin"?
Pronounced /ɡɹɔɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From earlier grine, from Middle English grinde, grynde, from Old English grynde (“abyss”) (perhaps also "depression, hollow"), probably related to Proto-Germanic *grunduz; see ground. Later altered under the influence of loin.
Etymology 2
From Middle English groynen, from a mixture of Old French groignier, grougnier (from Latin grunniō) and Old English grunnian (from Proto-Germanic *grunnōną).