whimper

[ hwim-per, wim- ]

/ ˈʰwɪm pər, ˈwɪm- /

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.

Nearby words

whilom, whilst, whim, whim-wham, whimbrel, whimper, whimsey, whimsical, whimsicality, whimsy, whin

Origin of whimper

1505–15; obsolete whimp to whine + -er⁶

SYNONYMS FOR whimper

1 whine, weep, sob.

3 whine, sob.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whimper ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whimpered

“I am utterly miserable,” Fitzgerald whimpered in a letter to Mankiewicz.
‘The Counselor’ & How Cormac McCarthy Beat the Hollywood Curse|Andrew Romano|October 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"Malin, I'm cold," he whimpered, and a slight shiver shook his frame.
The Long Patrol|H. A. Cody
He looked with tired, anxious eyes toward the lonely horse and the grey, misty rain, and he whimpered softly.
The Quest|Frederik van Eeden
McLaughlan read the judge's feeling, and whimpered out, "Let it fa', lad—let it fa'!"
It Is Never Too Late to Mend|Charles Reade

I sure feel as if I want to cry, whimpered Dodo, pretending to dab her eyes.
Polly and Her Friends Abroad|Lillian Elizabeth Roy
Yes—the poor little Lions laughed—it was all they could do, unless they had whimpered, and promised not to offend again.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 104, February 25, 1893|Various

British Dictionary definitions for whimpered

whimper

/ (ˈwɪmpə) /

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 Forms

whimperer, nounwhimpering, nounwhimperingly, adverb

Word Origin for whimper

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