different between whimper vs bellow

English

Etymology

From dialectal whimp (“to whine”) +? -er (frequentative suffix). Compare German wimmern (“to whimper, whine”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w?mp?(?)/, /???mp?(?)/
• Rhymes: -?mp?(?)

Noun

whimper (plural whimpers)

1. A low intermittent sob.

Translations

Verb

whimper (third-person singular simple present whimpers, present participle whimpering, simple past and past participle whimpered)

1. To cry or sob softly and intermittently.

   The lonely puppy began to whimper as soon as we left the room.

   • 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

     At the sight of Mr. Utterson, the housemaid broke into hysterical whimpering; and the cook, crying out "Bless God! it's Mr. Utterson," ran forward as if to take him in her arms.

2. To cry with a low, whining, broken voice; to whine; to complain.
   • March 22 1549, Hugh Latimer, third sermon preached before King Edward VI

     Was there ever yet preacher but there were gainsayers that spurned, that winced, that whimpered against him?

3. To say something in a whimpering manner.

   "Master, please don't punish me!" he whimpered.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:weep

Derived terms

• whimperative

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• (US, dialectal) beller

Etymology

From Middle English belwen, from Old English bylgian, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European *b?el- (“to sound, roar”), whence also belg (“leather bag”), bellan (“to roar”), bl?wan (“to blow”). Cognate with German bellen (“to bark”), Russian ??????? (bléjat?, “baa, bleat”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?b?lo?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?l??/
• Rhymes: -?l??

Noun

bellow (plural bellows)

1. The deep roar of a large animal, or any similar loud noise.

Translations

Verb

bellow (third-person singular simple present bellows, present participle bellowing, simple past and past participle bellowed)

1. To make a loud, deep, hollow noise like the roar of an angry bull.

   • the bellowing voice of boiling seas

2. To shout in a deep voice.

Translations