whimpers 1 of 2

noun

plural of whimper
as in whines
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment patiently posed for dozens of photographs without so much as a whimper

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whimpers

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of whimper
1
as in cries
to utter feeble plaintive cries the dog whimpered to be let in

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2
as in complains
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 whimpers
Noun
At the hospital in Dollow, mothers sat shoulder to shoulder on narrow beds holding frail children, some too weak to cry while others let out soft whimpers. — ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026 Earlier this month, a Gardena police officer responded to a report that there were whimpers and cries coming from a self-compacting trash can outside a church. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026 As the puppy lets out another barrage of whimpers, the kitten then looks directly at the camera, as if wondering casually what's going on. — Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 Well, a University of Texas at Arlington researcher is aiming to turn barks, howls and whimpers of man’s best friend into intelligible speech — a kind of Rosetta Stone of woof. — Miriam Fauzia, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025 The leitmotif of unanswered doorbells, unacknowledged wails, and unsoothed whimpers punctuates the passivity of Epure’s surreal world. — Olivia Bennett, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
In the video, my dog Leo whimpers at the sound of whistles. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whimpers
  1. moans
  2. cries
  3. complains
  4. complaints
  5. sobs
  6. screams
  7. whines
  8. mutters
Noun
  • In the decades after his death, Johnson’s loose playing and harrowing moans set American music on a path that would encompass Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, even Nas.
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
  • Sweet tweets, soft moans, the distant caw of a shore bird piloting toward the sea, spirited and hopeful, daylight already breaking through.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of moans
Verb
  • Since 2018, Microsoft has answered those curmudgeons’ cries with the Surface Laptop line, now in its eighth generation.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026
  • Kelli cries over how solid the Mwangi unit is, praising Gerald as a father and husband and affirming that Shamea’s ass is real, while everyone else looks on, bewildered.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 8 June 2026
Definition of cries
Verb
  • Adrian complains that McElwee, instead of making documentaries, should have followed the lucrative path of a Hollywood director, and even reproaches him for having turned down an offer to make a TV commercial.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
  • If he had been forced to stick with readily available materials, Rashid complains, the deck behind the house would have been green or brown.
    — Dean Kaufman, Curbed, 30 June 2026
Definition of complains
Noun
  • Customers were irate and expressed outrage by filing complaints with the Federal Communications Commission and a class action lawsuit.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026
  • Those records showed that several current and former Saint Alphonsus healthcare professionals who worked alongside Shapiro raised concerns and filed complaints about the surgeon’s abilities and his impacts on patient safety over the course of years.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 16 July 2026
Definition of complaints
Verb
  • Her endless screams and sobs echo back to the agonized wailing of The Mist’s David Drayton, who murdered his child and friends for nothing.
    — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • Later that day, Jamison sobs in bed while her mom and dad worry about her chances of getting into Stanford if she's reported to the police.
    — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Definition of sobs
Verb
  • In footage shared on TikTok, the 50 First Dates star is seen asking Rapp about her then-upcoming album, Snow Angel, when an audience member suddenly screams Barrymore’s name.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
  • The audience’s screams and applause for Knight and Keller lasted nearly 28 seconds.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of screams
Verb
  • Jessie whines about the good old days all the time — how fun is that?
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
  • Aronimink put the world’s best golfers in a vice this week and squeezed the whines right out of them.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
Definition of whines
Verb
  • Wilde read on social media that the tune actually inspired a movie theater meet-cute, as Nash mutters profanity mid-song.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Your dad mutters for head movement, for cage cutting, for not playing off the back and creating distance.
    — Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of mutters

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Cite this Entry

“Whimpers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whimpers. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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