blubbery
gb/blˈʌbɚi/ us/blˈʌbɚi/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
informal
C1
property
1
tearful and puffy from crying
looking or sounding like you have been crying
Usage pattern:
a blubbery [face/voice]; blubbery with tears
Common mistake:
Often misspelled as 'blueberry'. Also confused with 'blubbering' (the verb form).
Synonyms
tearful (More neutral and common; less vivid.)
|
weepy (Informal; suggests easily moved to tears.)
|
sobbing (Emphasizes audible crying rather than appearance.)
Antonyms
composed (Calm and in control of emotions.)
|
dry-eyed (Not crying; eyes not wet or swollen.)
Collocations
blubbery eyes
|a blubbery face
|a blubbery voice
|blubbery with tears
|a blubbery apology
|a blubbery voicemail
|a blubbery phone call
|blubbery sobs
|blubbery crying
|blubbery and red-eyed
Themes
emotions
|appearance
|spoken_communication
Examples
- She answered the door with blubbery eyes and a red face.
- His blubbery voice made it hard to understand what he was saying.
- After the argument, he sent a blubbery message saying he was sorry.
Learner examples
- I had blubbery eyes after crying.
- She spoke in a blubbery voice.
adjective
informal
C1
property
2
prone to crying easily
crying a lot or very easily
Usage pattern:
a blubbery [child/person]
Common mistake:
This describes a tendency to cry, not the same as 'bubbly' (cheerful).
Synonyms
weepy (Less harsh; can imply emotional sensitivity.)
|
overemotional (Focuses on strong emotion, not only crying.)
|
crybaby (More judgmental and noun-based.)
Antonyms
stoic (Not showing feelings, especially sadness.)
|
unflappable (Not easily upset or distressed.)
Collocations
a blubbery kid
|a blubbery child
|a blubbery teen
|a blubbery mess
|blubbery and emotional
|blubbery in public
Themes
emotions
|personality
Examples
- He was a blubbery kid who cried at every sad movie.
- I don’t want to be blubbery at the farewell party, so I’m bringing sunglasses.
- She’s not usually blubbery, but the speech really got to her.
Learner examples
- He is blubbery when he is tired.
adjective
technical
C1
property
3
full of fat or blubber
having a thick layer of fat
Usage pattern:
a blubbery [layer/body]
Common mistake:
Not the same as 'rubbery' (elastic) or 'flabby' (soft and loose).
Synonyms
fatty (General term; not specific to marine-animal blubber.)
|
adipose (More scientific/medical.)
|
flabby (More about looseness/softness than thickness of fat.)
Antonyms
lean (Having little fat.)
|
trim (Neat and not fat; often about a body shape.)
Collocations
a blubbery layer
|blubbery fat
|blubbery tissue
|blubbery body
|blubbery skin
|a blubbery whale
|a blubbery seal
Themes
animals
|nature
|body
Examples
- The animal’s blubbery layer helps it stay warm in icy water.
- Researchers measured the blubbery tissue to estimate how much energy the seal had stored.
- In winter, the whale looks especially blubbery.
Learner examples
- Seals have blubbery fat to keep warm.
adjective
informal
C1
property
4
soft, wobbling, gelatinous texture
soft and shaking like jelly or fat
Usage pattern:
a blubbery [mass/texture]
Common mistake:
Used mainly for unpleasant texture; not usually used for pleasant softness.
Synonyms
gelatinous (More neutral/scientific; strongly suggests jelly-like consistency.)
|
wobbly (More general; less specifically like fat.)
|
slimy (Adds the idea of wet slipperiness.)
Antonyms
firm (Keeps its shape; not soft or wobbling.)
|
crisp (Firm with a snap; often for food.)
Collocations
a blubbery texture
|a blubbery mass
|blubbery bits
|blubbery chunks
|blubbery jelly
|blubbery and slick
Themes
sensory
|food
|materials
Examples
- The stew had blubbery bits of fat floating on top.
- He poked the blubbery mass and it wobbled.
- The fish was fresh, but the skin felt blubbery and unpleasant.
Learner examples
- I don’t like blubbery fat in meat.
Grammar
Dictionary form
blubbery
IPA
GB/blˈʌbɚi/
US/blˈʌbɚi/
Syllables & stress
blub - bery (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (blub)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: blubbery
- Comparative: blubberier
- Superlative: blubberiest
Word family
Forms
blubberier
adjective
blubberiest
adjective
Core family
blubber
noun B2
Expressions
a blubbery mess
1/ə blˈʌbɚi mˈɛs/
fixed phrase
informal
crying uncontrollably
crying a lot and very upset
Examples
- By the end of the movie, I was a blubbery mess.
- He tried to give a speech but turned into a blubbery mess halfway through.
- Don’t call her right now—she’s a blubbery mess after the breakup.
in a blubbery voice
1/ˈɪn ə blˈʌbɚi vˈɔɪs/
fixed phrase
informal
speaking while crying
speaking while you are crying
Examples
- She whispered in a blubbery voice that she wanted to go home.
- He said in a blubbery voice that he hadn’t meant to hurt anyone.
- In a blubbery voice, she asked if we could talk later.