blubbering 1 of 3

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
  • Some in the pro-crying camp pointed to articles and headlines as proof.
    Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Noun
  • Physical symptoms of air irritation include running noses, sneezing, gagging, coughing, and weeping or swollen eyes.
    Stella Canino-Quiñones, Washington Post, 17 July 2026
  • The latter was the leader of a failed uprising against the ruling Elizabeth 1, and the weeping stag was often used as a symbol adopted by the Earl’s supporters.
    Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • Outpouring of grief The sound of sobbing underlays chanting in dozens of dialects woven together in a single expression of sorrow for Imam Hussein and his companions and family, killed and taken captive in the defining event of Shia Islam.
    Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
  • During the attack, terrified students huddled together under their desks, sobbing as gunshots rang out nearby, video filmed inside a classroom and verified by CNN showed.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 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
  • After the particularly disturbing Game 3 loss, when the Avs lost for only the second time in 76 playoff games when leading by three goals, Colorado resorted to whimpering.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 May 2026
  • 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
Adjective
  • Both my wife and I have been through the loss of our parents and found the following method has worked very well for dividing up sentimental possessions among the many brothers and sisters on both sides of the family.
    R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Family members sometimes leave jewelry and other sentimental items inside the niches with those remains.
    WPEC Staff, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • At low speeds through the town of Imola and villages beyond it, the most prominent sound is the whining of the rear differential.
    Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 18 May 2026
  • That broader perspective may explain why Hamlin’s criticisms rarely sound like post-race whining.
    Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Adjective
  • Its direction is stodgy and unimpressive, and its screenplay stilted and mawkish.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026
  • The sounds are chintzy and soaked in reverb, like a mawkish ’80s ballad rewritten from memory, and the whole thing slowly falls apart and fades out like an old track by the Field.
    Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 24 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Blubbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blubbering. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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