whimper

[hwim-per, wim-]

See more synonyms for whimper on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to cry with low, plaintive, broken sounds.

verb (used with object)

to utter in a whimper.

noun

a whimpering cry or sound.

Origin of whimper

1505–15; obsolete whimp to whine + -er⁶

Related formswhim·per·er, nounwhim·per·ing·ly, adverbun·whim·per·ing, adjectiveun·whim·per·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms

See more synonyms for whimper on Thesaurus.com

1. whine, weep, sob. 3. whine, sob.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for whimper

Contemporary Examples

Did the French monarchy end not with a bang—or a whimper—but a smile?
The French Court’s Royal Ban on Smiles
William O’Connor
December 14, 2014
Democratic capitalism had won the Cold War not with a bang, but a whimper.
The Man Who Knew Russia Best: George Kennan’s Revealing Diaries
James A. Warren
March 10, 2014
In Kyushu, where the yakuza are deeply rooted, they are not leaving with a whimper, they are leaving with a bang.
Where Have Japan’s Yakuza Gone?
Jake Adelstein, Nathalie-Kyoko Stucky
March 9, 2014
Without a bang or a whimper, the Grand Bargain died this week.
RIP: Obama’s Grand Bargain With the GOP on Entitlements
John Avlon
March 2, 2014
This is the way the World Economic Forum ends every year, not with a bang, but a whimper.
Income Inequality Was Quickly Forgotten at Davos
Christopher Dickey
January 26, 2014

Historical Examples

Gave it up, as you did, without a whimper or even a whisper?
Galusha the Magnificent
Joseph C. Lincoln
I might be a "Babe in the Wood," but he should not have the satisfaction of hearing me whimper.
Kent Knowles: Quahaug
Joseph C. Lincoln
Ralph would rather have heard him whimper and shuffle as he had done before.
The Shadow of a Crime
Hall Caine
"Your father is nothing but an ache and a stound to you, lass," Sim would say in a whimper.
The Shadow of a Crime
Hall Caine
Liza, frightened again, began once more to whimper prettily.
The Shadow of a Crime
Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for whimper

whimper

verb

(intr) to cry, sob, or whine softly or intermittently
to complain or say (something) in a whining plaintive way

noun

a soft plaintive whine

Derived Formswhimperer, nounwhimpering, nounwhimperingly, adverb

Word Origin

C16: from dialect whimp, of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for whimper

v.

1510s, probably of imitative origin, or from German wimmern "to whimper, moan." The noun is first recorded c.1700. Related: Whimpered; whimpering.

whimper

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}whimper

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for whimper

Contemporary Examples

Did the French monarchy end not with a bang—or a whimper—but a smile?

Democratic capitalism had won the Cold War not with a bang, but a whimper.

In Kyushu, where the yakuza are deeply rooted, they are not leaving with a whimper, they are leaving with a bang.

Without a bang or a whimper, the Grand Bargain died this week.

This is the way the World Economic Forum ends every year, not with a bang, but a whimper.

Historical Examples

Gave it up, as you did, without a whimper or even a whisper?

I might be a "Babe in the Wood," but he should not have the satisfaction of hearing me whimper.

Ralph would rather have heard him whimper and shuffle as he had done before.

"Your father is nothing but an ache and a stound to you, lass," Sim would say in a whimper.

Liza, frightened again, began once more to whimper prettily.

whimper

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for whimper

v.

Origin of whimper