whimpering
whimpering — verb
- whimperingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- whimperings3rd person singular
- whimperinging-ing form
- whimperingedpast simple
1. to produce a series of soft, high-pitched sounds that show you are hurt, afraid,
to produce a series of soft, high-pitched sounds that show you are hurt, afraid, or very sad — used especially when describing animals or children, but also of adults in extreme distress.
The puppy whimpered softly as Mateo cleaned the cut on its paw.
whimper + as-clause for simultaneous action
Sahil heard a dog whimpering outside the locked garden gate.
passive perception: hear + object + whimpering
When the vet gave the kitten a needle, it whimpered and tried to escape.
Eliska could hear the injured bird whimpering in the bushes near the garden.
The frightened girl whimpered and pressed her face against Rania's shoulder.
文法句型
whimper + prepositional phrase (in pain, with fear)
whimper + as-clause
用法筆記
Commonly used for animals (especially dogs, cats, injured wildlife); for adult humans it suggests a loss of control or extreme pain.
常見錯誤
whimpering — noun
1. a soft, weak crying sound made by someone who is hurt, afraid, or very sad — typ
a soft, weak crying sound made by someone who is hurt, afraid, or very sad — typically used for animals or young children, but also for people in great distress.
Rania heard a soft whimpering coming from under the wooden porch.
a + adjective + whimpering + location phrase
The whimpering of the lost puppies kept the family awake all night.
the whimpering of + [animal] as subject
A faint whimpering escaped from the cardboard box left on the doorstep.
Nala could not ignore the pitiful whimpering of the stray cat in the alley.
文法句型
a whimper / whimpering of [emotion/animal]
adjective + whimper
用法筆記
This noun sense refers to the actual sound. Do not confuse with noun sense 2, which refers to complaining rather than a physical noise.
常見錯誤
2. an act of complaining about something in a weak, childish, or repeated way that
an act of complaining about something in a weak, childish, or repeated way that suggests the person is acting unreasonably.
Mateo's constant whimpering about the homework annoyed everyone in class.
possessive + constant whimpering about [topic]
Anna told her younger brother to stop his whimpering and finish his chores.
The manager grew tired of the team's whimpering about the new schedule.
Aoi's whimpering about the cold weather did nothing to change anything.
- whining
very similar, but 'whining' often implies a more drawn-out, irritating tone
- complaining
more neutral — 'complaining' does not carry the same childish or weak tone
- grizzling
British informal; specifically for children's persistent complaining
- acceptance
willingness to accept a situation without complaint
- contentment
a state of satisfaction with the current situation
文法句型
whimpering about [something]
用法筆記
Disapproving tone — the speaker thinks the complaint is unnecessary or the complainer should accept the situation. This sense is always about human speech acts, never about animals.