sobbed

IPA/sˈɒbd/
KK[sˈɑbd]IPA/sˈɑːbd/

sobbed — verb

1. To cry loudly with gasping, uneven breaths that make your body tremble.

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

To cry loudly with gasping, uneven breaths that make your body tremble.

Example

Farid sobbed quietly in the back seat after hearing the terrible news.

The little girl sobbed so hard that her whole body shook.

Common collocations
  • sob quietly
  • sob loudly
  • sob uncontrollably
  • sob bitterly
  • sob with relief
  • sob into one's hands
  • sob into a pillow
Synonyms
  • cry

    broader term — tears with or without sound

  • weep

    quieter, steadier crying, often from deep sadness

  • bawl

    louder and more unrestrained, like a child screaming

  • wail

    adds a high-pitched, drawn-out vocal sound, often grief-related

Grammar Patterns

sob + adverb

sob + prepositional phrase

sob + until-clause

sob + with + emotion

Usage Note

Almost always intransitive. Common adverbs: quietly, loudly, uncontrollably, bitterly. The verb describes crying with audible, jerky gasps — distinct from silent crying or steady weeping.

Common Mistakes

He sobbed his apology to her.
He gave his apology between sobs.
'sob' in its core meaning is intransitive; you cannot 'sob' your words.

sobbed — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Cry' is the broadest term — tears with or without sound. 'Weep' suggests quieter, steadier crying, often from deep sadness; there may be tears streaming but no loud gasps. 'Sob' is specifically noisy, with convulsive breaths and body shaking. 'Bawl' is louder and more unrestrained — think of a child screaming and crying at full volume. 'Wail' adds a high-pitched, drawn-out vocal sound, often associated with grief or pain. If someone is crying with heaving shoulders and gasping breaths, they are sobbing; if they are letting out long, keening cries, they are wailing. Example: 'Farid wept silently at the funeral, but his sister wailed and sobbed throughout the service.'

cry ↗weep ↗bawl ↗wail ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Middle English 'sobben,' probably imitative in origin — the word sounds like the action it describes, with the 'sob' sound mimicking a catch of the breath. Related to Old English 'sēofian' (to lament). The word has been used in English since at least the 12th century.