sob
gb/sˈɑb/ us/sˈɑb/
B1
English
~ 1400
zokog, zokogás
VERB
B1
1
zokog
B1
Usage pattern:
to sob [words]
She began to sob uncontrollably after hearing the news.
A hír hallatán fékezhetetlenül zokogni kezdett.
He sobbed quietly in the corner of the room.
Csendesen zokogott a szoba sarkában.
'I'm sorry,' she sobbed, wiping her eyes.
The child sobbed into his pillow all night.
He fell to his knees and sobbed in grief.
Learner examples
She sobbed when she heard the bad news.
Zokogott, amikor meghallotta a rossz hírt.
The little boy sobbed for his mother.
A kisfiú az anyja után zokogott.
He sobbed and could not speak.
She sobbed into her hands.
He sat alone and sobbed.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sob' with 'sigh'. 'Sob' involves crying with quick breaths; 'sigh' is a long breath showing sadness or relief without crying.
Meaning
Cry while taking short breaths
Collocations
sob uncontrollably
|sob quietly
|sob loudly
|begin to sob
|sob into [something]
Synonyms
weep (More general term for crying, without focusing on the breathing pattern.)
|
bawl (Informal and stronger; implies loud, noisy crying.)
Antonyms
laugh (Opposite emotional reaction, often with opposite facial expression and breathing pattern.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To cry and breathe in quickly many times because you are very sad or upset.
To cry while taking short, sudden breaths that can be heard.
NOUN
B1
2
zokogás
B1
A loud sob escaped her lips.
Hangos zokogás szakadt fel belőle.
He let out a choked sob before speaking.
Mielőtt megszólalt, fojtott zokogást hallatott.
She tried to hide her sobs behind her hands.
The room was silent except for her quiet sobs.
He suppressed a sob and continued talking.
Learner examples
She made a loud sob.
Hangos zokogást hallatott.
He gave a small sob.
Halk zokogást hallatott.
I heard her sobs from the next room.
He tried to stop his sobs.
She let out a sob.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'sob' with 'sniffle'. A 'sob' is louder and linked to crying; 'sniffle' is a quieter nasal sound often from a cold or light crying.
Meaning
An act of crying with short breaths
Collocations
choked sob
|loud sob
|soft sob
|let out a sob
|suppress a sob
Synonyms
cry (General term for making sounds of sadness; less specific to breathing pattern.)
|
wail (Loud, prolonged cry of pain or grief.)
Antonyms
laugh (Opposite emotional sound.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The sound or act of crying and breathing in quickly because you are sad or upset.
A single act or sound of crying in which a person takes short, sudden breaths.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sob
IPA
GB/sˈɑb/
US/sˈɑb/
Syllables & stress
sob (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sob)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sob
- Plural: sobs
Verb
- Base: sob
- 3rd Person Singular: sobs
- Present Participle: sobbing
- Past: sobbed
Word family
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: sobbing Verb
- Irregular past: sobbed Verb
Expressions
on the sob
1/ˈɔn ðə sˈɑb/
fixed phrase
Currently crying with short breaths
Crying and breathing in quickly many times at the present moment.
Examples
- By the time we arrived, she was on the sob and couldn't speak clearly.
- He was on the sob after hearing the bad news.
sob story
1/sˈɑb stˈɔɹi/
idiom
informal
Sad tale to gain sympathy
A sad story that someone tells so that people will feel sorry for them or help them.
Examples
- He gave me some sob story about losing his job to borrow money.
- I'm tired of hearing her sob stories about how hard her life is.