noun / verb

sob

SAHB/sɑːb/

A noisy cry with short catches of breath, or to cry this way.

He covers his face and sobs into his hands.

A young adult South Asian man sits on a plain bench, sobbing into a tissue, with tearful eyes, a trembling open mouth and hunched, heaving shoulders conveying interrupted breaths.

Etymology

sobMiddle Englishto cry or sigh with short breaths

Middle English sobben already described crying or sighing with short breaths and a sudden heaving of the chest. Its origin is probably imitative, reflecting the sound of this broken breathing.

In context

Libranima548:17

I would sob like a child, I would tear from my breast not words, but my very heart and vitals, to tell you that I love you;

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame - Hugo (Illustrated Audiobook) Part 2 of 2

More examples

A loud sob escapes her as she hugs her mother.
I sobbed with relief when they found my dog.
Between sobs, he tells his sister what happened.

Forms

sob · sobs · sobbed · sobbing

Similar words

cry: A broader term that does not require catching breaths.
weep: Focuses on shedding tears, often quietly rather than noisily.
wail: Means crying with a long, loud sound rather than gasps.