whimper
Americanverb (used without object)
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whimpers,
present (3rd person singular)
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whimpered,
past participle, past
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whimpering
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
whimpers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whimpered,
past participle, past
-
whimpering
present participle
noun
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whimpers
plural
verb
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(intr) to cry, sob, or whine softly or intermittently
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to complain or say (something) in a whining plaintive way
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
whimpersimple
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whimperssimple
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have whimperedperfect
-
has whimperedperfect
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am whimperingprogressive
-
are whimperingprogressive
-
is whimperingprogressive
-
have been whimperingperfect progressive
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has been whimperingperfect progressive
Past
-
whimperedsimple
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had whimperedperfect
-
was whimperingprogressive
-
were whimperingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
And yet the victory comes with more of a whimper, given expectations heading into the night.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
Alas, Krypto the pup is sidelined early on with a whimper, both from him and us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
They were drearily negative in the critical game against Hungary at the Euros and went out with a whimper.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 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
Aaron’s cry faded to a whimper, and he sucked on his bottle a little.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
In the video, one of the woman’s young daughters whimpers and the other clasps tightly to her distraught, Mickey ears headband-wearing mother while begging strangers for help.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2024
These included grunts, whimpers, laughter, screams, hoos, barks, squeaks, and pant hoots.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2023
The cries of mammalian infants, for example, can be incredibly similar, to the point that white-tailed deer will respond to whimpers whether they're made by marmots, humans or seals.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 22, 2023
But “Baby Ruby” hardly whimpers, let alone screams.
From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2023
Noodles continued, "I'm so, so, sorry," his words turning into a mess of tears and whimpers.
From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds
“When it comes to the actual re-establishment of the business, Sound Transit provides next to nothing,” he said, as babies whimpered behind his office wall at naptime.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 12, 2023
Yet because he never whimpered or complained, few outside the program even knew what he had to endure.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 17, 2023
He nervously tries to speak, but only a few whimpered words emerge.
From Salon ● May 22, 2023
"Come back to me, my love, please come back soon," he whimpered as she stroked his hand.
From BBC ● May 15, 2018
“Please don’t say any more,” whimpered Aunt Chipo.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
“I think if the dog came out alive, one of them has to be alive as well,” Fajardo said, as Yogi sat next to her whimpering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
In the middle of the night, Franklin started whimpering.
From Slate ● May 2, 2024
One video, which has had millions of views, shows the mysterious figure appearing from behind a mirror to whimpering children.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2024
Gabriela Barrera, 21, was arrested Saturday after Irvine Police Department Animal Service officers went to a home on Eastshore regarding reports of whimpering dogs on the patio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
But the woman was now gazing down at her baby, who was suddenly whimpering.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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.
