as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
patiently posed for dozens of photographs without so much as a whimper
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to cry
to utter feeble plaintive cries
the dog whimpered to be let in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
a good-hearted person, but given to whimpering about trifles
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whimper
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Austin Michael’s career began with a comic whimper.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
Tavleen Tarrant, NBC news, 28 Dec. 2025
Anyway, Merle whimpers for about a minute before Kyle delivers multiple kill shots.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whimper
Noun
Survivor 50 kicked off not with a bang but with a whimper when Kyle Fraser was medically evacuated from the game in the season premiere.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Austin Michael’s career began with a comic whimper.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
In a large tent, veterinarians and volunteers work together to place an IV into the leg of a small, whimpering puppy.
—Tavleen Tarrant, NBC news, 28 Dec. 2025
Anyway, Merle whimpers for about a minute before Kyle delivers multiple kill shots.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whimper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whimper
Noun
-
Both motors stay at or below 45 dBA even at full power, something that will genuinely surprise anyone used to the whine of current-generation motors.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 10,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The whine from that straight-cut gearbox alone is painfully loud, say nothing of the wide-open exhaust on the 4.0 L flat-six.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Though the arrest took place over three years ago, the case garnered new attention in March when TMZ published a video of the altercation, which showed Paul putting Mortensen in a headlock and throwing chairs at him while a child could be heard crying.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
On the side, my two best friends were crying with laughter.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Cassidy also complained that a new primary system enacted last year confused voters by requiring them to ask for a partisan ballot instead of the all-party primary previously in place.—
Thomas Beaumont,
Fortune,
17 May 2026
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So, what Rodriguez and Cohen Higgins are complaining about is what happens four and five years or even ten years down the line.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Where my world was hemmed in by ridgelines and holler roads, Mary Lennox’s world was hemmed in by fog and wind and the low moan of a manor house that seemed to breathe on its own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Under Hiller, the Kings went into the Olympic break with a whimper and came out of it with a moan.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Leah asked while sobbing in an interview.—
Anna Peele,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
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Snedeker sobbed like a baby during a brief meeting with the media following his heartbreak at Augusta in '08.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
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One morning in 2013, before the sun had risen, Hiba and Ibrahim heard gunshots and screams.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Also, there was an element of danger, and doing a scene that is really arduous, achieving an emotional peak for an amount of time and performing physical acts and screaming [about] a matter of life and death.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The couple was last seen together on surveillance footage at a Beaver Dam Kwik Trip on March 29, 2025, according to a criminal complaint cited by WISC.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
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Last week, The Charlotte Observer reported on complaints from some who had to sleep on those bunks.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Players started bleating, serenading James with sounds deserving of the GOAT — greatest of all time.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Justin Fletcher returns as the bleating voice of Shaun and the flock, joined by John Sparkes, and Kate Harbour as voice talent in the dialog-free feature.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whimper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whimper. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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