whimper
- whimper
- [[t](h)wɪ̱mpə(r)[/t]]
whimpers, whimpering, whimpered
1) VERB If someone whimpers, they make quiet unhappy or frightened sounds, as if they are about to start crying.
She lay at the bottom of the stairs, whimpering in pain...
[V-ing] He made another pathetic whimpering sound.
N-COUNT
Whimper is also a noun.
David's crying subsided to a whimper.
2) VERB If someone whimpers something, they say it in an unhappy or frightened way.
[V with quote] `Let me go,' she whimpered. `You're hurting me.'...
[V n] She whimpered something inaudible.
3)
PHRASE: PHR after
v If you say that something happens
not with a bang but a whimper, you mean that it is less effective or exciting than was expected or intended.
He bowed out of world politics not with a bang but a whimper...
The festival started with a whimper rather than a bang.
English dictionary.
2008.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
whimper — (v.) 1510s, probably of imitative origin, or from Ger. wimmern to whimper, moan. The noun is first recorded c.1700 … Etymology dictionary
whimper — [hwim′pər, wim′pər] vi. [? akin to WHINE] to make low, whining, broken sounds, as in crying or in fear vt. to utter or say with a whimper n. a whimpering sound or cry SYN. CRY whimperingly adv … English World dictionary
Whimper — Whim per, n. A low, whining, broken cry; a low, whining sound, expressive of complaint or grief. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Whimper — Whim per, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whimpered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Whimpering}.] [Cf. Scot. whimmer, G. wimmern.] To cry with a low, whining, broken voice; to whine; to complain; as, a child whimpers. [1913 Webster] Was there ever yet preacher but there … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Whimper — Whim per, v. t. To utter in alow, whining tone. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
whimper — vb weep, *cry, blubber, wail, keen … New Dictionary of Synonyms
whimper — [v] cry softly bleat, blubber, complain, fuss, mewl, moan, object, pule, snivel, sob, weep, whine; concepts 77,185 Ant. bawl … New thesaurus
whimper — ► VERB ▪ make a series of low, feeble sounds expressive of fear, pain, or discontent. ► NOUN ▪ a whimpering sound. ORIGIN imitative … English terms dictionary
whimper — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun ADJECTIVE ▪ little, slight (esp. AmE), small, soft (esp. AmE) ▪ frightened (esp. AmE), pathetic VERB + WHIMPER … Collocations dictionary
whimper — I UK [ˈwɪmpə(r)] / US [ˈwɪmpər] / US [ˈhwɪmpər] verb Word forms whimper : present tense I/you/we/they whimper he/she/it whimpers present participle whimpering past tense whimpered past participle whimpered a) [intransitive] to make small sounds… … English dictionary
