blubbering 1 of 3

Definition of blubberingnext

blubbering

2 of 3

noun

blubbering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of blubber
as in sobbing
to shed tears often while making meaningless sounds as a sign of pain or distress the poor child was blubbering because he had fallen and skinned his knee

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blubbering
Verb
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 Wanting to make Lambert more than some blubbering wreck, Cartwright emphasized her common sense. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blubbering
Adjective
  • But his crying scene in Ford v Ferrari is one for the ages.
    Michael Granberry, Dallas News, 17 Jan. 2020
Noun
  • Mostly, however, Gee’s sophisticated, stealthily moving film folds any bursts of emotion into its exquisitely dark shadows, letting Evans’ limpid but heartsore music do most of the weeping.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
  • In the early twentieth century, on the Andaman Islands, social anthropologists observed ritualistic greetings that involved wailing and weeping.
    Shayla Love, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But producers kept the cameras rolling throughout Shandi’s distress, capturing her sobbing frame and even filming a tearful phone call with her boyfriend back home.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
  • There’s Pete Carroll holding the hand of his sobbing grandson as television cameras invaded his personal space.
    Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Sitting opposite an old people’s home in a residential corner of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, La Santé’s unassuming presence is only given away by the occasional wailing siren as prisoners are transported to and from the site.
    Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • How to Watch North Carolina at Syracuse Bill Belichick’s first season as North Carolina head coach is winding to a whimpering close, but an ACC win over Syracuse under the Friday Night Lights would sure turn some frowns upside down at Chapel Hill.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • All of this self-indulgent whining, by the way, is going on while Pippa is supposed to be supporting Bree at her photography exhibit.
    Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The cats kept them up each night with their incessant whining and scratching at their doors.
    Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • For a kid of 16, a sentimental journey isn’t normally an especially long trip.
    Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
  • In the film from Gulfstream Pictures, which is currently in production in New Orleans, Iacono will play the role of sentimental, comic wingman Colin Davis.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Knight’s directorial debut never tips over into mawkish but has some unashamedly tender moments.
    Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
  • After a mawkish beginning, the play somewhat redeems itself through earned emotions and an ambiguous ending that begs discussion.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 14 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Blubbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blubbering. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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