ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sobbing

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsɑbɪŋ// UK //sˈɒbɪŋ// sob·bing

n. the act of crying loudly while taking short, quick breaths. It usually happens when you are very upset or hurt.

n. the act of weeping convulsively with short, gasping breaths. Often used to describe intense emotional distress or physical pain.


SIMPLE

Her loud sobbing could be heard from the next room.

CONTEXTUAL

The child's quiet sobbing eventually stopped once his mother arrived to comfort him.

COMPLEX

The silence of the funeral was broken only by the rhythmic sobbing of the bereaved family in the front row.

Synonyms
Usage

Often appears as the object of verbs like 'hear' or 'stop', or as a subject in descriptive prose.

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