“Cry” is a verb with multiple meanings related to the production of tears due to emotions or making a loud vocal sound. Here are some synonyms and their characteristics:
1. Weep
- Meaning: To shed tears, usually quietly and often as a sign of deep emotion such as grief, sorrow, or joy. For example, “She began to weep when she heard the sad news.”
- Difference from “cry”: “Weep” is generally a more subdued and often more emotional form of crying. It implies a quieter, more continuous flow of tears and is usually associated with a deeper, more profound feeling.
2. Sob
- Meaning: To cry noisily, with convulsive gasps. For example, “The child sobbed uncontrollably after falling down.”
- Difference from “cry”: “Sob” emphasizes the noisy and often involuntary nature of the crying. It involves short, sharp intakes of breath and a more intense display of emotion than a simple “cry.”
3. Wail
- Meaning: To make a long, high - pitched, mournful cry. For example, “The widow wailed at the funeral.”
- Difference from “cry”: “Wail” has a very distinct sound - related connotation. It is a loud, often drawn - out cry that is usually associated with grief, pain, or distress and has a more dramatic and mournful quality.
4. Blubber
- Meaning: To cry noisily and in a clumsy or unattractive way, with a lot of mucus and tears. For example, “He blubbered like a baby when he realized he had lost his wallet.”
- Difference from “cry”: “Blubber” has a negative or less - than - graceful connotation. It implies a more disheveled and perhaps self - pitying kind of crying.
5. Snivel
- Meaning: To cry in a whining or tearful manner, often with a runny nose. For example, “Stop sniveling and be brave!”
- Difference from “cry”: “Snivel” suggests a weak, complaining - type of crying and is often used in a context where the crying is seen as somewhat unattractive or overly self - indulgent.
6. Bawl
- Meaning: To cry or shout loudly. For example, “The baby bawled throughout the night.”
- Difference from “cry”: “Bawl” emphasizes the loudness of the crying and is similar to “wail” in that regard, but it may not have the same mournful or dramatic tone. It can also imply a more forceful or insistent crying, like a child demanding attention.