whimper
verb
ˈwim- \
\
Definition of whimper
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to make a low whining plaintive or broken sound
2 : to complain or protest with or as if with a whimper
whimper
nounDefinition of whimper (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : a whimpering cry or sound
2 : a petulant complaint or protest the bill passed without a whimper
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Synonyms & Antonyms for whimper
Synonyms: Verb
beef, bellyache, bleat, carp, caterwaul, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, kick, moan, murmur, mutter, nag, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whine, yammer, yawp (or yaup), yowl
Synonyms: Noun
beef, bleat, carp, complaint, fuss, grievance, gripe, grouch, grouse, grumble, holler, lament, moan, murmur, plaint, squawk, wail, whine, yammer
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of whimper in a Sentence
Verb
I could hear the puppy whimpering. She whimpered about having to get up early. “Where are you going?” she whimpered.Noun
I could hear the puppy's whimpers. patiently posed for dozens of photographs without so much as a whimper
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
During the recording, which is almost eight minutes long, young children can be heard crying and whimpering while asking for Mommy and Daddy and Mami and Papi. — Alix Langone, Time, "Listen to Audio of Children Separated From Their Parents Inside Border Patrol Facilities," 20 June 2018 The first time Tim Elliott saw Winx, the pit bull was whimpering in the corner of a north-side post office, shot in the face. — Holly V. Hays, Indianapolis Star, "Dog found shot, covered in bleach adopted by IMPD officer who rescued him," 11 July 2018 Kasian’s mother whimpered and buried her head in her hands and Leibel’s brother, Cody, a high-end property developer, sat stone-faced. — Marisa Gerber, latimes.com, "'A slow, excruciating, painful death': Graphic novelist convicted in fiancee's grisly 2016 slaying," 20 June 2018 Shrieks erupted in the courtroom when the verdict was announced, and some of Cosby’s accusers whimpered and cried. — Michael R. Sisak And Claudia Lauer, BostonGlobe.com, "Bill Cosby found guilty on three counts of sexual assault," 26 Apr. 2018 Shrieks erupted in the courtroom when the verdict was announced, and some of Cosby's accusers whimpered and cried. — Michael R. Sisak And Claudia Lauer, Houston Chronicle, "'The real Bill Cosby': Comedian convicted of sexual assault," 27 Apr. 2018 Shrieks erupted in the courtroom and some of his other accusers whimpered and cried. — Bloomberg.com, "The Latest: Accuser Calls Bill Cosby 'A Raping Monster'," 26 Apr. 2018 If the world is going to end with a whimper not a bang, then some of the world’s richest people are going to whimper together in New Zealand. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "To Live and Die in Utopian New Zealand," 22 Feb. 2018 The puppy whimpered through the beginning of the flight, but eventually quieted. — Author: Martine Powers, Anchorage Daily News, "Puppy dies after being forced to ride in overhead bin on United flight," 14 Mar. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Not with a bang, but a whimper as the clock runs out. — Charlotte Wilder, SI.com, "The Warriors Broke the Cavaliers’ Spirit, And it Looks Unlikely They’ll Get it Back," 4 June 2018 Above all, watch for signs that a meltdown is on its way (i.e., a whimper, tension), then react accordingly. — Kathleen Dexter, M.s.w., miamiherald, "Here's how to diffuse your child's temper tantrums | Miami Herald," 26 Apr. 2018 The apartment was filled with mounds of trash, and the landlord could hear what sounded like an animal’s low whimpers, Grap said. — Mary Carole Mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Emaciated puppy found under pile of trash is fighting for her life," 13 July 2018 The switch puts a whimper of a finale in a tug-of-war that dates back to 1966. — Clifton Leaf, Fortune, "Brainstorm Health: Ties in Biology, Trump-Pfizer Takeaways, Obamacare Navigator Cuts," 11 July 2018 Australia's World Cup ended with a whimper as goals from Andre Carrillo and Paolo Guerrero gave Peru a 2-0 victory in the teams' group finale on Tuesday. — Andy Scott, chicagotribune.com, "Australia bow out as Peru claim World Cup consolation victory," 26 June 2018 Yet that is essentially what has happened to sepsis, an infection that kills as many Americans each year — about 250,000 — as stroke and Alzheimer’s combined — with barely a whimper. — Derek Angus, STAT, "Current efforts to fight sepsis aren’t working. We need a bolder approach," 14 June 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will review plans to sell Air India after his administration’s most high-profile privatization offer ended in a whimper with no buyers showing interest in the unprofitable flag carrier. — Fortune, "A Funny Thing Happened When India Put Its National Airline Up for Sale: No One Put in a Bid," 1 June 2018 Harden, one of the greatest offensive weapons the NBA has ever seen, went out with a whimper rather than with guns blazing. — Ben Golliver, SI.com, "James Harden’s Reputation Hangs on His Response to Steph Curry’s ‘Haymaker’," 21 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whimper.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for whimper
whimper
verb
English Language Learners Definition of whimper
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to make a quiet crying sound
: to complain in a weak or annoying way
whimper
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of whimper (Entry 2 of 2)
: a quiet crying sound
: a mild expression of complaint or protest
See the full definition for whimper in the English Language Learners Dictionary
whimper
verb
ˈwim- \
Kids Definition of whimper
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to make a quiet crying sound
whimper
nounKids Definition of whimper (Entry 2 of 2)
: a whining cry
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