whimpering
Feeble, plaintive sobbing
Whimpering is making soft, feeble crying sounds that express pain, fear, or distress.
Dogs whimper when anxious or seeking attention; humans whimper when overwhelmed but not fully crying.
As a noun, it names this sound collectively: The whimpering from the back seat told us the kids were exhausted.
The word often carries connotations of weakness or helplessness, sometimes used dismissively to describe complaining: Stop your whimpering and get on with it.
Unable to act independently
- defenselessWithout means to resist
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
- weakLacking power or force
- coweringShrinking in fear
trembling · shaking · frightened · scared · timid · meek · submissive · pathetic
helpless
Unable to act independently
- defenselessWithout means to resist
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
- weakLacking power or force
cowering · trembling · shaking · frightened · scared · timid · meek · submissive · pathetic · pitiful
puppy
Juvenile canine
hound · kitten · cub · wounded · scared · cowering · submissive · nursing · abandoned · lost
whine
Complain in high pitch
snivel · whinge · bleat · yelp · cry · murmur · quaver · sigh · groan · keening
distress
Severe anxiety or suffering
sorrow · misery · heartache · fear · anxiety · dread · hopelessness · desolation · forlorn · woeful
aching
Experiencing dull pain
- throbbingRhythmic painful pulsing
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
- discomfortMild physical or mental distress
tenderness · soreness · twinge · pang · hurt · wounded · injured · agony · smarting · rawness
- vocalizationsspeak, speaking, talking, whisper, shout
- infant developmentbabbling, developmental milestones, crawling, first steps, developmental delay
- animal signalsbody language, bird songs, tail wagging, mating calls, whale song
- cryingcry, crying, tears, sob, sobbing
- lamentslamentation, wailing, keen, keening, lament
- sadnesssad, unhappy, grief, sorrowful, heartbroken