verb

whimper

WIHM-puh

verb

To cry or make small, weak, broken sounds, usually from pain, fear, or distress.

"The puppy whimpered outside the door, wanting to be let in."

"She whimpered softly as the nurse cleaned the wound."

noun

A soft, weak, broken sound of distress.

"A faint whimper came from the back seat as the car hit another bump."

How to Use Whimper

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA small, weak crying sound, or the act of making one.

Common mistake

Often paired with the phrase "go out with a whimper" — a quiet, disappointing end rather than a dramatic one.

Common pairings

whimper in pain a soft whimper go out with a whimper

whimpered past tense, whimpers plural, whimpers singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

The puppy _____ outside the door, wanting to be let in.

From an old dialect word whimp, meaning "to whine", with the frequentative ending -er added to suggest a repeated, ongoing sound.

mewl

mewl