whimpering 1 of 3

adjective

as in crying

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whimpering

2 of 3

noun

as in weeping

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whimpering

3 of 3

verb

present participle of whimper
1
as in sobbing
to utter feeble plaintive cries the dog whimpered to be let in

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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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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 whimpering
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
  1. crying
  2. weeping
  3. sobbing
  4. complaining
  5. wailing
  6. whining
  7. moaning
  8. screaming
Adjective
  • Some in the pro-crying camp pointed to articles and headlines as proof.
    — Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of crying
Noun
  • 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
  • Kimiya was closest, sprawled across the floor weeping, debris swirling around her.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of weeping
Verb
  • Amber is then seen in bodycam footage sobbing as she is told by police that somebody in the house was dead.
    — Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
  • The coffin was unveiled late on Thursday to a throng of sobbing supporters, who were swaying and beating their heads in time to a sung lament as flowers were thrown from the bier into the crowd.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of sobbing
Verb
  • Rodriguez said in a May phone interview with the Herald that detainees had been complaining when a guard approached him and told him to walk out of the cage where he and other men were housed.
    — Churchill Ndonwie, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026
  • These reviews are overall mixed with positive reviews praising USGB’s customer service and negative ones complaining about frequent marketing calls.
    — Javier Simon, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Definition of complaining
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
Definition of wailing
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
Definition of whining
Verb
  • Swinging his hips, moaning into the mic and briefly getting promiscuous with a mic stand was the authenticity that the majority-millennial crowd expected.
    — Sophie Lindberg July 11, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
  • Federal officers stand over a man with a bloody shirt who is handcuffed face down, moaning in pain as his left foot shakes.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of moaning
Verb
  • In the video, the crowd could be heard cheering and screaming.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 13 July 2026
  • No stranger to delivering a live performance for thousands of screaming fans, Dwayne Johnson is looking to add a Broadway show to his extensive resume.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 11 July 2026
Definition of screaming

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Cite this Entry

“Whimpering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whimpering. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on whimpering

Nglish: Translation of whimpering for Spanish Speakers

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