blubber

1 of 2

verb

blub·​ber ˈblə-bər 

blubbered; blubbering ˈblə-b(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

: to weep noisily

transitive verb

1

: to swell, distort, or wet with weeping

2

: to utter while weeping

blubber

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the fat of whales and other large marine mammals

b

: excessive fat on the body

2

: the action of blubbering

Synonyms of blubber

Verb

• cry
• sob
• weep

Examples of blubber in a Sentence

Verb

Oh, stop blubbering, you big baby!

the poor child was blubbering because he had fallen and skinned his knee

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

It was still used to store whale meat and blubber for the villagers. —Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026

The pearl-clutchers are stuck in the past, blubbering over things like the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War or the Waffen-SS slaughtering 84 American soldiers captured in Malmedy, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge. —Doug McIntyre, Oc Register, 7 Dec. 2025

Noun

Yet, unlike such marine mammals as whales and seals, sea otters lack a thick layer of blubber to insulate them. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026

But they were hunted in the 1800s for their blubber, which was used to make lamp oil. —Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English blubren to make a bubbling sound, from bluber

Noun

Middle English bluber bubble, foam, probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1665, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for blubber

• liber
• rubber
• scrubber
• snubber

Kids Definition

blubber

1 of 2 noun

blub·​ber ˈbləb-ər 

1

: the fat of whales and other large sea mammals

2

: the action of blubbering

blubber

2 of 2 verb

blubbered; blubbering

-(ə-)riŋ

1

: to weep noisily

2

: to talk and weep at the same time