as in crying
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1
as in sobbing
to utter feeble plaintive cries
the dog whimpered to be let in
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complaining
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 whimpering
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Only this version of Slattery is a whimpering scaredy-cat, who unleashes the beast within at a key moment in the film.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 11 June 2026
As the timer passed seven minutes, Steve Eckert exhorted a whimpering young man to dunk his head underwater.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
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
Adjective
Multiple responders then grasped the canine by the neck and back to lift it onboard, during which the dog could be heard slightly whimpering.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Only this version of Slattery is a whimpering scaredy-cat, who unleashes the beast within at a key moment in the film.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
That admission led to gasps and whimpering by several courtroom observers.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 11 June 2026
As the timer passed seven minutes, Steve Eckert exhorted a whimpering young man to dunk his head underwater.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whimpering
Adjective
-
But his crying scene in Ford v Ferrari is one for the ages.—
Michael Granberry,
Dallas News,
17 Jan. 2020
Noun
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The other thing that was really interesting is this weeping sickness that Sugi described in the beginning.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The scenes of security personnel forcibly removing weeping and resistant settlers deeply divided Israeli society.—
Shira Pinson,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Jurors saw Pino taking deep breaths, crying and sobbing for seven minutes.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
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Is Marie-Paule’s reaction—to throw herself, sobbing, to the ground—authentic, or more of a performance or a ritual?—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The amplifying of complaining subcontractors, always easy to find.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
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But many Spotify users voiced displeasure at the change-up, with some complaining that the disco ball looked pixelated on a small phone screen and, generally, was visually displeasing.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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That broader perspective may explain why Hamlin’s criticisms rarely sound like post-race whining.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The process left Carruthers bleeding and moaning on May 21, according to the witness, Maria DeLiberato, senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union's Capital Punishment Project.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
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The stuff with a load of people wearing wigs moaning about taxes just isn’t seen as very glamorous.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
Verb
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As if each of us isn’t a walking embodiment of our moment, clueless and attuned at once, screaming about one thing and in total denial about another.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
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There were the arrests of tearful and screaming immigrants, captured on video and played on endless loops across social media.—
Moriah Balingit,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whimpering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whimpering. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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