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
-
have whimperedperfect
-
has whimperedperfect
-
am whimperingprogressive
-
are whimperingprogressive
-
is whimperingprogressive
-
have been whimperingperfect progressive
-
has been whimperingperfect progressive
Past
-
whimperedsimple
-
had whimperedperfect
-
was whimperingprogressive
-
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.
But his side are on the brink of heading home at the first hurdle, in a similar fashion to their previous two finals appearances - with a whimper and without playing a historic knockout tie.
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
The strange legal saga that torpedoed Jeff Shell’s career at Paramount Skydance has ended with a whimper.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
Manias often peak on good news, though, and they generally go out with a bang, not a whimper.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Sri Lanka needed an emphatic win to stay alive but instead exited with a whimper, limping to 107-8 chasing New Zealand's 168-7.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
This time he didn’t sing his song, but he let out a whimper.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
