whimper

Compared meaning: cry, with different loudness and cause (verb).

比较义项：哭泣（动词）。

• weep

  Weep suggests quiet, often gentle or restrained crying, sometimes with tears but not necessarily a loud sound; it feels more literary or formal than a plain, loud cry.

  weep表示安静、较为克制地哭泣，常伴有眼泪但不一定发出很大声音；比起大声哭喊，语气更正式，也带有一点文学色彩。

  The child began to weep quietly after losing her favorite toy.

  孩子丢了心爱的玩具后，开始小声地哭泣。

• wail

  Wail means to cry loudly with a rising, mournful sound, usually expressing sudden pain, sadness, or distress; it is louder and less controlled than weep.

  wail表示大声地、带有起伏哭喊声地哭泣，通常用来表达突如其来的痛苦、悲伤或不安；比weep声音更大，也更难以控制。

  The baby began to wail loudly in the middle of the night.

  婴儿在半夜大声地哭喊起来。

• whimper 本词

  Whimper means to make soft, low, broken crying sounds, often out of fear, pain, or weakness rather than loud, dramatic crying; it is the weakest and quietest of the three.

  whimper表示发出低弱、断续的哭声，多因害怕、疼痛或虚弱而发出，而不是大声、夸张地哭；在三者中声音最轻、最微弱。

  The frightened puppy let out a soft whimper under the bed.

  受惊的小狗在床底下发出一声轻轻的呜咽。

All three mean to cry, but the intensity differs. Weep is quiet and gentle, more literary than a plain cry. Wail means crying loudly with a rising, mournful sound, from sudden pain or sadness. Whimper means soft, low, broken crying, often from fear or weakness.

这三个词在“哭”这个意义上意思相近，但语气强弱不同：weep较为安静、克制，wail响亮而带有痛苦或悲伤的喊叫声，whimper则是微弱、断续的低声哭泣，常表示害怕或虚弱。