sob
/sɒb/ (bre, ipa) · [sˈɑb] /sɑːb/ (ame, ipa) · [sˈɑb] /ˈsäb/ (ame, mw)
sob — verb
- sobpresent simple I / you / we / they
- sobshe / she / it
- sobbedpast simple
- sobbing-ing form
1. to cry with loud, irregular breaths and short gasps, usually because of deep sad
to cry with loud, irregular breaths and short gasps, usually because of deep sadness, pain, or emotional distress
Adisa sobbed into his hands after he read the letter from home.
sob + into + body part
The little girl sobbed loudly when her balloon floated away into the sky.
Kabir sobbed at his grandfather's funeral, unable to hold back the tears.
Élise sobbed as she packed up her desk and said goodbye to her team.
Dario sobbed with relief when he heard that the missing child was safe.
- weep
more formal, quieter, and more continuous — suggests dignified grief rather than convulsive breaths
- cry
the most general word; covers any act of shedding tears
- wail
adds a loud, high-pitched cry, often involving actual words or howls
- bawl
the loudest and least controlled; a full-throated, undignified cry
- laugh
opposite emotional expression
文法句型
sob + (adverbial)
用法筆記
Subject is always a conscious being (usually a person). Frequently followed by an adverbial phrase indicating where, why, or how — e.g. sob into a pillow, sob with relief, sob at the news.
常見錯誤
2. to speak while crying so hard that your words come out in short, broken, breathl
to speak while crying so hard that your words come out in short, broken, breathless bursts
"I don't want to go," Henry sobbed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
sob introducing direct speech
Yara sobbed that she had lost the money her grandmother gave her.
sob + that-clause
Joshua sobbed out the whole story between deep, shaky breaths.
"I can't do this anymore," Sana sobbed as she slumped into the chair.
文法句型
sob + direct speech
sob + that-clause
sob + out + noun phrase
用法筆記
Common in two patterns: (a) sob + direct speech ('I hate you,' she sobbed); (b) sob + that-clause (He sobbed that he was sorry). The variant sob out + noun phrase (sob out the truth) emphasises that the words are forced out with difficulty.
常見錯誤
sob — noun
- sobsingular
- sobsplural
1. a single act of crying with loud, gasping breaths, or the sound that this makes
a single act of crying with loud, gasping breaths, or the sound that this makes
A loud sob broke the silence of the empty waiting room.
sob + verb of sound (broke the silence)
With one last sob, the child finally fell asleep in her mother's arms.
Hiro heard a muffled sob from behind the closed bathroom door.
Antonia's sobs grew quieter as the calming medicine began to take effect.
Ishaan let out a deep sob when he finally let himself grieve.
用法筆記
Often used with verbs like let out, hear, or break into. Also commonly appears in plural (sobs) to describe a series of crying sounds. Can refer either to the muscular action itself or to the audible sound it creates.
2. a shortened way of writing or saying the very offensive term 'son of a bitch', u
a shortened way of writing or saying the very offensive term 'son of a bitch', used as an insult
The movie was rated R partly because someone shouts 'S.O.B.' more than once.
punctuation: S.O.B. (periods between letters)
A fan in the stands shouted 'S.O.B.' at the referee after the call.
shouted 'S.O.B.' + at + target of insult
Amihan scrawled 'S.O.B.' in the margin and tossed the letter aside.
The CEO muttered 'SOB' under his breath when the merger fell through.
- bastard
equally offensive; similar intensity but not an acronym
用法筆記
Highly offensive in most contexts. Often written as S.O.B. in print to soften the impact slightly. Not used in formal, polite, or professional speech. Considered a vulgarity, not just an informal term.
常見錯誤
❌ Writing 'sob' in lowercase when using the insult meaning — the abbreviation is usually written S.O.B. or SOB in capitals.