verb
sob
sob
verb
1
To cry with short, gasping breaths.
"She sobbed quietly into her pillow after the phone call."
"He sobbed uncontrollably at the funeral."
noun
1
A short, gasping cry, or the sound it makes.
"A single sob escaped her before she composed herself."
How to Use Sob
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo cry with broken, heaving breaths, or the sound of that kind of crying.
Common pairings
sob uncontrollably
a heaving sob
sob into someone's shoulder
Word Forms
sobbed past tense, sobbed past tense, sobs plural, sobs singular, sobs singular
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Etymology
From Middle English sobben, likely linked to old Germanic words for drooling or slobbering — the crying sense developed from the shaky, gasping breath.