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Glite Dictionary
😢 To cry softly 😢 A soft cry
to whimper

to whimper

69 3.3
To make a low, soft cry because of pain or fear
  • verb
  • /ˈwɪmpər/
translation icon : lloriquear
  • As I move to mollify her, she wards me off and whimpers the old incantation through gritted dentures.

She was on the road right by me, whimpering, and Blue ran off for the next two hours.

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Examples

  • Turning, I saw him caught by a tall man who tried to console him as he whimpered loudly.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Rufus, our dog, ran into the kitchen and whimpered to get my attention.

  • Well, some dogs will lie down and whimper, but some dogs won't.

  • All I had to do was whimper a little, and he would call it quits.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The baby in his arms whimpered and struggled in its sleep.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Little Fannie was whimpering by then, and Edwina was now holding baby Teddy in her arms.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Children, missing their naps, whimpered fretfully, often falling asleep in their father's arms as they walked.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Sherrie was shaking in Dave's grip; she whimpered, and the fear flooded from her, and it was so good.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Queenie shook and whimpered, and Maura slipped her arm around the dog.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The puppy began to whimper when it got lost in the park.

Synonyms

to whine
vsto whimper
18 2.6

To make a long high, unpleasant sound like a machine

refer to low soft cries caused by pain or living distress rather than machines
to mewl
vsto whimper
2 9.9

To cry in a small, weak voice like a kitten or baby

often occur as weak sounds produced by pain or distress
to mew
vsto whimper
1 7.9

To make a soft high sound like a kitten

are lower pitched and weak rather than high pitched cries
to pule
vsto whimper
  • Archaic
9.9

To cry in a small, weak voice

are low and weak rather than high pitched sounds
to miaow
vsto whimper
  • UK
1.9

To make the short high sound cats make

apply more generally to low weak cries across people and animals
to wheep
vsto whimper
9.9

To make a short high whistling sound like a small bird

are longer low weak sounds rather than brief high pitched cries
to wawl
vsto whimper
9.9

To make a long, high, sad noise like crying

are low weak soft sounds showing pain or quiet distress

Antonyms

to laugh
∞ 1.0

To make sounds and move your face or body because something is funny

to celebrate
∞ 1.4

To join fun events to mark a special day or achievement

How Intense

to sob
15 1.0
to cry
342 1.0
whine
  • Informal
28 3.0
to whimper
69 3.3
to murmur
11 4.2

Surface Forms

whimper infinitive
whimpered past
whimpered past participle
whimpering present participle
whimpers third person singular

Etymology

Whimper comes from the same old sound word whimperen that copies a soft cry and is like the common word whine. So to whimper is 'to make low, weak crying sounds' when you are hurt or unhappy.