blubber
gb/blˈʌbɚ/ us/blˈʌbɚ/
B2
English
bőr alatti zsírréteg, bőg, zokog, háj, bőgés, zokogás
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
the blubber of [animal]
Whales rely on blubber to stay warm in icy water.
A bálnák a zsírrétegük segítségével maradnak melegen a jeges vízben.
Researchers measured the thickness of the seal’s blubber after winter.
A kutatók megmérték a fóka bőr alatti zsírrétegének vastagságát a tél után.
The museum display explained how blubber helps marine mammals survive.
Learner examples
A whale has blubber under its skin.
A bálnának zsírréteg van a bőre alatt.
Blubber helps animals stay warm.
A zsírréteg segít az állatoknak melegen maradni.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse blubber (animal fat) with bubble (air in liquid).
Meaning
fat layer on marine mammals
Collocations
whale blubber
|seal blubber
|a thick layer of blubber
|blubber provides insulation
|blubber stores energy
|blubber under the skin
|render blubber
|blubber oil
|blubber thickness
|strip of blubber
Synonyms
fat (General word; blubber is specifically the thick subcutaneous fat of marine mammals.)
Antonyms
leanness (The state of having little body fat, opposite of a thick fat layer.)
Themes
animals
|nature
|biology
Definition
a thick layer of fat under the skin of whales and seals
A thick layer of fat under the skin of whales, seals, and similar animals, which helps keep them warm and stores energy.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
blubber (about/over [something])
He started to blubber when he saw the photos.
Elkezdett bőgni, amikor meglátta a fényképeket.
I didn’t mean to, but I blubbered through the whole goodbye.
Nem akartam, de az egész búcsúzkodást végigbőgtem.
She blubbered over the sad ending of the movie.
Learner examples
He began to blubber when he heard the news.
Elkezdett bőgni, amikor meghallotta a hírt.
Please don’t blubber; we can fix it.
Kérlek, ne bőgj; meg tudjuk oldani.
Common mistake:
Blubber means crying, not speaking; for speaking unclearly, use mumble or babble.
Meaning
cry noisily and uncontrollably
Collocations
blubber uncontrollably
|blubber loudly
|start blubbering
|blubber over the news
|blubber about a breakup
|blubber into a tissue
|sit and blubber
|blubber through an apology
|blubber at the funeral
|blubber all night
Synonyms
bawl (Often emphasizes loud crying; blubber suggests messier, less controlled crying.)
|
sob (More neutral and can be quieter; blubber is usually louder and more uncontrolled.)
Antonyms
compose (To regain control of your emotions instead of crying uncontrollably.)
|
smile (A contrasting emotional display to crying.)
Themes
emotions
|daily_life
Definition
to cry loudly and without control
To cry in a loud, messy, uncontrolled way, often with a runny nose or gasping breaths.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
3
háj
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s blubber
He joked about trying to lose a little blubber before summer.
Viccelődött azzal, hogy nyár előtt megpróbál leadni egy kis hájat.
The comment about her “blubber” was rude and unnecessary.
A „hájáról” tett megjegyzés udvariatlan és teljesen felesleges volt.
I’m not trying to get ripped—I just want to burn off some blubber.
Learner examples
He wants to lose some blubber.
Le akar adni egy kis hájat.
That word can be rude.
Ez a szó sértő lehet.
Common mistake:
This use can sound insulting; use neutral words like body fat in polite contexts.
Meaning
body fat (informal, negative)
Collocations
a bit of blubber
|lose the blubber
|middle-aged blubber
|extra blubber
|spare blubber
|shake the blubber
|carry some blubber
|burn off the blubber
|pinch of blubber
|belly blubber
Synonyms
fat (More general; blubber is more informal and often more negative.)
|
flab (Also informal; often focuses on soft fat on the body.)
Antonyms
muscle (Refers to firm tissue rather than fat.)
|
fitness (General opposite idea of being out of shape or carrying excess fat.)
Themes
body
|health
|relationships
Definition
body fat (often rude)
Excess body fat, spoken about in a casual or insulting way.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
have a blubber
After the call, she went to the bathroom for a quick blubber.
A hívás után kiment a mosdóba, hogy gyorsan kibőgje magát.
I had a blubber on the train and then felt better.
Bőgtem egyet a vonaton, aztán jobban lettem.
He tried to laugh it off, but it turned into a blubber.
Learner examples
I had a blubber after the sad movie.
Bőgtem egyet a szomorú film után.
Common mistake:
This noun use is much less common than the verb blubber.
Meaning
a bout of noisy crying
Collocations
have a blubber
|a good blubber
|a quick blubber
|a little blubber
|after a blubber
|need a blubber
|a late-night blubber
Synonyms
cry (Neutral; blubber suggests louder, messier crying.)
|
sob (Can be quieter and more controlled than blubber.)
Antonyms
composure (The state of being calm and in control instead of crying.)
Themes
emotions
|daily_life
Definition
a short time when you cry loudly
An episode of noisy, uncontrolled crying.
Grammar
Dictionary form
blubber
IPA
GB/blˈʌbɚ/
US/blˈʌbɚ/
Syllables & stress
blub - ber (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (blub)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: blubber
- Plural: blubber
Verb
- Base: blubber
- 3rd Person Singular: blubbers
- Present Participle: blubbering
- Past: blubbered
Word family
Forms
blubbers
verb
blubbering
verb
blubbered
verb
Core family
blubbery
adjective C1
Expressions
a blubbering mess
1/ə blˈʌbɚɪŋ mˈɛs/
fixed phrase
informal
person crying uncontrollably
crying a lot and unable to calm down
Examples
- After the breakup, he was a blubbering mess for days.
- Don’t call her right now—she’s a blubbering mess.
- I thought I’d be fine, but I turned into a blubbering mess at the ceremony.
Learner examples
- She was a blubbering mess.
blubber like a baby
1/blˈʌbɚ lˈaɪk ə bˈeɪbi/
idiom
informal
cry in a childish way
to cry loudly like a baby
Examples
- I blubbered like a baby when they surprised me with the video.
- He blubbered like a baby over a scraped knee.
- She told me not to blubber like a baby and to take a deep breath.
Learner examples
- He blubbered like a baby.
blubber out
1/blˈʌbɚ ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
say something while crying
to say words while crying
Examples
- She blubbered out an apology and ran to her room.
- He blubbered out that he’d lost the tickets.
- I tried to explain, but I could only blubber it out between sobs.
Learner examples
- She blubbered out, “I’m sorry.”
in a blubber
1/ˈɪn ə blˈʌbɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
crying and very upset
crying and very upset
Examples
- She was in a blubber after reading the letter.
- He came home in a blubber because he thought he’d failed.
- I found her in a blubber and couldn’t understand what was wrong at first.
Learner examples
- He was in a blubber.