Meaning & use
sobbing
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“sobbing” is a form of “sob”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
The -ing form of sob: crying noisily with short, shaky gasps of breath.
Grammar: No object: she was sobbing, but sobbing out a story takes one.
Patterns
- be sobbing
- sobbing into something
The little girl was sobbing because she had lost her toy.
He sat sobbing into his hands after the news.
We could hear someone sobbing in the next room.
verbtransitiveliterary
Saying something while crying in this way, with the words broken by gasps.
Grammar: Takes a quote or object: sobbing an apology.
Patterns
- sobbing out something
She left the room sobbing out an apology.
He ran to his mother, sobbing that he had failed.
The boy came in sobbing the whole story.
noununcountable
The sound or act of crying with heavy, gasping breaths.
Grammar: Uncountable, often with the: the sobbing stopped.
Patterns
- the sound of sobbing
The sobbing from upstairs went on for an hour.
Her quiet sobbing broke the silence.
The sobbing finally faded and she fell asleep.
Common combinations
- sobbing uncontrollably
- He was sobbing uncontrollably at the funeral.
- sobbing quietly
- She sat sobbing quietly in the corner.
- sobbing child
- A sobbing child clung to his father's coat.
- break down sobbing
- The witness broke down sobbing.
- sobbing into a pillow
- He lay sobbing into a pillow.
Synonyms and how they differ
- crying
- Crying is the general word, while sobbing is heavier and involves gasping breaths.
- weeping
- Weeping is more literary and suggests tears more than noise, whereas sobbing emphasizes the gasps.
- wailing
- Wailing is loud and drawn out, but sobbing is more broken and shaky.
- blubbering
- Blubbering is informal and slightly mocking, while sobbing is neutral.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: sobbing or sobering?
sobbing vs sobering
Sobering describes something that makes you serious, and has nothing to do with crying.
Practice
The child ran to her mother, ___ that someone had broken her kite.
Choose one answer.
Sobbing fits a sad reason delivered with gasping breaths. Laughing and humming do not suit the distress described.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sobbing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.