whimper
verb /ˈwɪmpə(r)/
/ˈwɪmpər/
[intransitive, transitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they whimper | /ˈwɪmpə(r)/ /ˈwɪmpər/ |
| he / she / it whimpers | /ˈwɪmpəz/ /ˈwɪmpərz/ |
| past simple whimpered | /ˈwɪmpəd/ /ˈwɪmpərd/ |
| past participle whimpered | /ˈwɪmpəd/ /ˈwɪmpərd/ |
| -ing form whimpering | /ˈwɪmpərɪŋ/ /ˈwɪmpərɪŋ/ |
- to make low, weak crying noises; to speak in this way
- The dog whimpered softly.
- The child was lost and began to whimper.
- + speech ‘Don't leave me alone,’ he whimpered.
Extra ExamplesTopics Animalsc2- He stirred in her arms, whimpering like a child.
- She was whimpering in fear.
- The boy was whimpering with pain.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- quietly
- softly
- slightly
- …
- begin to
- start to
- hear somebody
- …
- in
- with
- whimper like a child
Word Originearly 16th cent.: from dialect whimp ‘to whimper’, of imitative origin.