Library / English Dictionary

SOB

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: sobbed    , sobbing   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Convulsive gasp made while weeping

Synonyms:

sob; sobbing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("sob" is a kind of...):

crying; tears; weeping (the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds))

Derivation:

sob (weep convulsively)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous

Synonyms:

asshole; bastard; cocksucker; dickhead; mother fucker; motherfucker; prick; shit; SOB; son of a bitch; whoreson

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("SOB" is a kind of...):

disagreeable person; unpleasant person (a person who is not pleasant or agreeable)

Domain usage:

dirty word; filth; obscenity; smut; vulgarism (an offensive or indecent word or phrase)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A dyspneic condition

Synonyms:

breathlessness; shortness of breath; SOB

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("SOB" is a kind of...):

dyspnea; dyspnoea (difficult or labored respiration)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Weep convulsively

Example:

He was sobbing inconsolably

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "sob" is one way to...):

cry; weep (shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

sob; sobbing (convulsive gasp made while weeping)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Elinor, I am miserable, indeed, before her voice was entirely lost in sobs.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Then little Marleen laid her head down on her knees and sobbed.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

As evening drew in, the storm grew higher and louder, and the wind cried and sobbed like a child in the chimney.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He had himself climbed up behind, and I, after a hearty handshake from my father, and a last sobbing embrace from my mother, took my place beside my uncle in the front.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At sight of the contents, he uttered one loud sob of such immense relief that I sat petrified.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Dorothy began to sob at this, for she felt lonely among all these strange people.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Buck staggered over against the sled, exhausted, sobbing for breath, helpless.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

The girl was taken to her room, still screaming and sobbing, while I made inquiries about Brunton.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then the strong, soothing hand of the austere maid drew her head down on to the cushion, and the wild anger died away into passionate sobbing.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient have periods of tearfulness or sobbing that seem to indicate sadness?

(NPI - Periods of Tearfulness or Sobbing, NCI Thesaurus)