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Glite Dictionary
to blubber out

to blubber out

8.6
To say something while crying so much you can hardly speak
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈblʌbər aʊt/
  • Informal
translation icon : llorar mientras habla
  • Don't blubber out your feelings like that!

Examples

  • She blubbered out an apology through her tears, barely able to speak.

  • He blubbered out the terrible news to his friends, unable to control his sobbing.

  • Through her sobs, she finally blubbered out everything that had happened.

  • She blubbered out a few words before collapsing.

  • She managed to blubber out her apologies between sobs.

  • He blubbered out his feelings of sadness during the emotional scene.

  • While crying, she could only blubber out a few words of comfort.

Synonyms

to cry
vsto blubber out
342 1.0

To make a loud call to show feeling or get attention

involves saying words while making those sounds, often unclear
to blubber
vsto blubber out
  • Informal
14 6.1

To cry loudly and without control, often while talking

focuses on saying words while sobbing and being hard to understand
to pour one's heart out
vsto blubber out
  • Informal
8 6.4

Talk openly about your deepest feelings when you feel upset

is brief, tearful speech often hard to follow instead of long sharing
to choke out
vsto blubber out
1 7.4

Say something with great difficulty because you feel upset or nervous

occurs while sobbing, making the words often hard to understand

Antonyms

to speak clearly
7 1.0

Say words so other people can easily understand you

How Clear

to state
∞ 1.6
to say
∞ 1.0
to blubber out
  • Informal
8.6
to mutter
140 3.7
to mumble
103 4.9

Surface Forms

blubber out infinitive
blubbered out past
blubbered out past participle
blubbering out present participle
blubbers out third person singular

Morphology

blubber + out

The verb 'blubber' means to sob (often speaking while crying) and the particle 'out' marks an outward utterance, so a learner who knows both parts can infer 'to say something while crying'. This verb+out compositional pattern is common in English and thus immediately recoverable for a B1 learner familiar with the constituent meanings.

Etymology

The phrasal verb blubber out comes from the verb blubber, which means to cry in loud, wet sobs, and the particle out, which means to let something come out. So to blubber out is to force words or a confession out while you cry, which is why it means 'to say something while sobbing'.