pule

American  

[pyool] / pjul /

verb (used without object)

puled, puling

1. to cry in a thin voice; whine; whimper.

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pule British  

/ pjuːl /

verb

1. (intr) to cry plaintively; whimper

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Other Word Forms

• puler
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of pule

First recorded in 1525–35; perhaps imitative

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Explanation

To pule is to cry, but not loudly. Puling is weak, soft crying. It's a pathetic sound. Unfortunately, there are many ways to cry. You can bawl, which is loud crying. On the other end of the spectrum, you can pule. When you pule, you're crying weakly at a low volume. When dogs are scared, they often pule. Children sometimes pule when they don't get their way. People pule when they're sad, frightened, heartbroken, or tired. People pule when they don't have the energy to cry louder.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pule puled puling

Once everyone is present, Tūtū opens us with a pule, prayer.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

We pule again, and then we line up to scoop food onto our plates.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

The trout plunged and flounced over the shallow water, got into another deep pule, and ran into the bank, in the hollow of twa big stanes that were lying there.

From The Genius of Scotland or Sketches of Scottish Scenery, Literature and Religion by Robert Turnbull

This was accomplished by the utterance of a pule hoo-noa, a tabu-lifting prayer.

From Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula by Nathaniel Bright Emerson

From one point of view these pule are not to be regarded as prayers in the ordinary sense of the word, but rather as song-offerings, verbal bouquets, affectionate sacrifices to the gods.

From Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula by Nathaniel Bright Emerson

McGinnis clung to the hearing room door as police puled him away.

From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2026

The user contradicted Optus's claims the breach was "sophisticated", saying they puled the data from a freely accessible software interface.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2022

A raft rocked angrily as burly men puled on wires to tame it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2015

I've never puled in this world, thank God, and let come what will, I ain't going to begin puling in the next.

From The Deliverance; a romance of the Virginia tobacco fields by Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow

But perhaps if Mrs. Kenton had been asked to deliver her mind on this point at once she would have been a little puled.

From The Kentons by William Dean Howells

“Some sectors are puling back on hiring intentions because their broader economic outlook is starting to become less rosy or they have industry-specific concerns,” said Nick Bunker, head of research at Indeed’s Hiring Lab.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 2, 2022

“I think he got caught and now he’s puling an excuse out from under the bed,” Adams said.

From Washington Times ● May 23, 2020

BST16:14 69 min Coleman drills a long one from right-back towards Walters, puling left.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 11, 2015

After the doors swung open, the crowd grew to more than 200 to collect their free issues with staffers puling titles from boxes on a wheeled, metal cargo crate by the counter.

From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2011

Why couldn't I dream of devoting myself to baby after fat puling baby like Dodo Conway?

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

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