sob
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to weep with a convulsive catching of the breath.
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to make a sound resembling this.
verb (used with object)
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to utter with sobs.
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to put, send, etc., by sobbing or with sobs.
to sob oneself to sleep.
noun
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the act of sobbing; a convulsive catching of the breath in weeping.
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any sound suggesting this.
abbreviation
verb
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(intr) to weep with convulsive gasps
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(tr) to utter with sobs
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to cause (oneself) to be in a specified state by sobbing
to sob oneself to sleep
noun
abbreviation
Other Word Forms
- sobber noun
- sobbing noun
- sobbingly adverb
- sobful adjective
Etymology
Origin of sob
1150–1200; Middle English sobben, apparently imitative
Explanation
If you're so upset you're crying loudly, taking in big gasps of air and heaving your chest, you are sobbing. Picture a child on the playground who has fallen and can't find his or her mother. The child's face is red and streaked with tears, and he or she is gasping from crying so hard. This poor little boy or girl is sobbing uncontrollably. Sometimes, while trying not to cry, you might let out a single sob. A "sob story" is a story meant to make you feel bad for someone, so bad you might sob for them.
Vocabulary lists containing sob
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Instead of "Said": Words For Sad Speech
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Words for the High School Graduate
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I’ll never forget this part of my life,” she said, and, behind sunglasses, began to sob.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
And Dana takes that pause to let a sob break through her hard surface.
From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026
But the beat Hudson gets exactly right comes in a scene where you’re certain this klutzy melodrama is going to force her to sob.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025
"It came like an earthquake.. I thought 'Well, if I am going to die, then so be it,'" he said, beginning to sob heavily.
From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025
Once, he gave something like a sob; and once, he could not stop himself from crying out in delight; mostly, though, he listened.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
