Sounds associated with negative emotions

Question 1

whimper /wim-per/

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"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but a **whimper**." - T.S.Elliot

"The poor dog was making **whimpering** sounds and licking its wounds after being pelted with stones by the street urchins."

Answer 1

(v., n.)
(verb used with object) to cry with low, plaintive, broken sounds
(verb used without object) to utter in a whimper
(noun) a whimpering cry or a sound

Question 2

wail /weyl/
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The bereaved family members of the old man wailed by his death bed for a long time.

Answer 2

(v., n.)
to utter a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering

Question 3

sob /sob/

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The little girl was continuously sobbing and weeping after she found out that she was not invited to her best friend’s birthday party. Her mother kept giving her glucose drinks to keep her energy up (her sobs were that loud!) and had to sing her to sleep that night.

Answer 3

(v., n.)
(verb without object) to weep with a convulsive catching of the breath; to make such a sound

(verb with object) to utter with sobs.
(noun) the act of sobbing

Question 4

growl /groul/

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One growl from the bear sent the two hunters running away for their lives.

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I haven't eaten my breakfast or lunch, so that sound you just heard was my stomach **growling**.

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The thunder **growled** so fiercely that the little children needed to be comforted all night.

Answer 4

(v., n.)
(verb with object) To utter a deep guttural sound expressing anger or hostility
(verb with object) To murmur or complain angrily
(verb with object) rumble
(verb without object) to express by growling
(noun) the act or sound of growling

Question 5

howl /houl/
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Hannah was so good at telling jokes that her audience invariably reacted with **howls** of laughter, till their tummies ached and they got tears in their eyes.

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It was a dark, moonless, winter night and from within his cozy countryside cottage, Jack could hear the wolves and jackals, out on their hunt, **howling** into the night with every increasing intensity.

Answer 5

(v., n.)
to utter a loud, prolonged, mournful cry, as that of a dog or wolf. When people are said to howl, it is usually out of extreme emotions, such as intense distress, laughter, etc.

Check out some wolf howls by clicking here. Be warned, they may be a bit scary in the beginning…
Sometimes the wind howls too… have you heard it?

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If these words (whimper, howl, etc) sound quite simple to you and you’re wondering if you’ll ever see them on the GRE, think again. The words may be simple, but the nuances and the relationships will also be tested on the exam. Eg. “whimper : howl” could very well be an analogy question. Try to guess the relationship sentence. Moreover, howl qualifies as an example of onomatopoeia, which is in turn another GRE word. Do you know what it means?