whimper
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
(intr) to cry, sob, or whine softly or intermittently
-
to complain or say (something) in a whining plaintive way
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
whimpersimple
-
whimperssimple
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have whimperedperfect
-
has whimperedperfect
-
am whimperingprogressive
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are whimperingprogressive
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is whimperingprogressive
-
have been whimperingperfect progressive
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has been whimperingperfect progressive
Past
-
whimperedsimple
-
had whimperedperfect
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was whimperingprogressive
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were whimperingprogressive
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had been whimperingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of whimper
1505–15; obsolete whimp to whine + -er 6
Explanation
To whimper is to make a low, pitiful whining sound. If you've ever heard a sick puppy cry, you know what it means to whimper. Use the verb whimper to describe the crying you do when you're frightened or in pain. A child with a fever might whimper, or a woman with a terrible migraine headache. It can also be a noun, although in that case the word takes on a bit of a whiny meaning: "The boy gave a whimper when he realized he was only getting one cookie." Whimper is onomatopoeic, or a word that sounds just like what it means.
Vocabulary lists containing whimper
Instead of "Said": Words For Sad Speech
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"My Favorite Chaperone," Vocabulary from the short story
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Similes from Top AP English Exam Novels
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Baltimore then had linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo ejected from the game in the third quarter after he hit out in a scuffle with Guy Whimper.
From Reuters • Oct. 25, 2011
Whimper, a fourth round pick in 2006, played in all 16 regular season games and four postseason games - mostly as a backup - in the 2007 season.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 4, 2010
Hagan, Whimper and Busing had their contracts terminated.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 4, 2010
The New York Giants cuts some ties to their 2008 Super Bowl championship team, waiving defensive tackle Jay Alford and offensive lineman Guy Whimper.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 4, 2010
If I dare snarl between this sun and sod, Whimper and clamour, give me grace to own, In sun and rain and fruit in season shown, The shining silence of the scorn of God.
From Modern British Poetry by Untermeyer, Louis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
