sob

\ ˈsäb

How to pronounce sob (audio)

\

sobbed; sobbing

Definition of sob

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : to catch the breath audibly in a spasmodic contraction of the throat

b : to cry or weep with convulsive catching of the breath

2 : to make a sound like that of a sob or sobbing

transitive verb

1 : to bring to a specified state by sobbing sobbed himself to sleep

2 : to utter with sobs sobbed out her grief

sob

Definition of sob (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : an act of sobbing

2 : a sound like that of a sob

SOB

\ ˌes-ˌō-ˈbē

How to pronounce SOB (audio)

\

plural SOBs or SOB's

Definition of SOB (Entry 3 of 3)

slang, sometimes offensive

: son of a bitch He's one arrogant/tough/greedy SOB. … a guy who brought two dozen roses to a first coffee date and told you he felt like the luckiest SOB on the planet in the first five minutes. — Today

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about sob

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Examples of sob in a Sentence

Verb He began to sob uncontrollably. She could not stop sobbing. “I hate you,” she sobbed. Noun (2) I hate that miserable SOB.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In the theater, as Hugo’s tale of oppression, liberation and redemption unfolded, audiences were moved nightly to sob and scream. — Robert D. Mcfadden, New York Times, "Herbert Kretzmer, Lyricist for ‘Les Misérables,’ Dies at 95," 14 Oct. 2020 Place a glass of wine between your hands and sob uncontrollably. — Jiji Lee, The New Yorker, "Easy Exercises to Get Your Body Election-Day Ready," 9 Oct. 2020 Clay begins to sob as Bryce also appears to him to call Clay a monster. — Martha Sorren, refinery29.com, "13 Reasons Why," 8 June 2020 Sergine rested her forehead on the steering wheel and began to sob. — Washington Post, "The pandemic hit and this car became home for a family of four.," 6 June 2020 As the time went on, many people in the room began to loudly sob, including members of Floyd’s family. — BostonGlobe.com, "Sharpton decries oppression of Black Americans at George Floyd’s memorial," 4 June 2020 Khamenei would read the Quran aloud and sob, lost in the words of the Prophet, or simply peer at the sky through the bars of his cell. — Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, "The Twilight of the Iranian Revolution," 18 May 2020 Meghan sobbed on FaceTime with her brother’s wife, Jackie Beckley. — Kristina Goetz, The Courier-Journal, "'It felt like my bones were breaking': Nurse with coronavirus thought she was going to die," 21 Apr. 2020 Loud sobbing reported from under reverend Bayes' grave stone. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Experts demolish studies suggesting COVID-19 is no worse than flu," 24 Apr. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Luckily, there are less sob-fest parts of the movie, too. — Bianca Rodriguez, Marie Claire, "35 Sad Movies for When You Need Something to Cry About," 29 Sep. 2020 In keeping with my embarrassing history of crying in school, my most humiliating sob was as an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. — Maureen Stanton, Longreads, "Through a Glass, Tearfully," 10 Aug. 2020 In keeping with my embarrassing history of crying in school, my most humiliating sob was as an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. — Maureen Stanton, Longreads, "Through a Glass, Tearfully," 10 Aug. 2020 While not nearly as sob-worthy as, say, The Fault in Our Stars, this film will still leave you gasping and reaching for Kleenex. — Noelle Devoe, Seventeen, "41 Sad Movies to Watch on Netflix for When You Need a Good Cry," 23 June 2020 At some point a muffled sob nearby jolts you back, but in a good way. — Alex Witchel, Town & Country, "Broadway Shows (and Martinis) Are Just the Balm We Need Now," 18 June 2020 The sob claim has been disputed, DailyMail.com suggested. — Fox News, "Jeffrey Epstein accuser calls Ghislaine Maxwell arrest 'one of the best days of my life'; sob claim disputed," 6 July 2020 My toddler face-planted on the asphalt in front of our house, and my sobs over the tumble lasted longer than his. — Beth Spotswood, SFChronicle.com, "Our mental state gets strained in times of crisis — and it happens to a lot of us," 22 Apr. 2020 Terrified of what would happen if white vigilantes heard them, fugitive mothers suffocated their crying babies, then choked back their own sobs. — Caitlin Fitz, The Atlantic, "Conquerors Armed With Spreadsheets," 8 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sob.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Sob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sob. Accessed 17 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for sob

sob

verb

English Language Learners Definition of sob

: to cry noisily while taking in short, sudden breaths

: to say (something) while sobbing

See the full definition for sob in the English Language Learners Dictionary

sob

\ ˈsäb

\

sobbed; sobbing

Kids Definition of sob

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to cry noisily with short sudden breaths I sobbed uncontrollably.

2 : to say while crying noisily She sobbed out the story.

sob

Kids Definition of sob (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act or the sound of crying loudly with short sudden breaths Hearing this, Wilbur threw himself down … Great sobs racked his body.— E. B. White, Charlotte's Web

SOB

Medical Definition of SOB

short of breath

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