variants
or snivelling
as in whimpering
to complain or cry in an annoying way
The child sniveled until he got his way.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in crying
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sniveling
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Played by a sniveling Casey Siemaszko, Billy is spineless and spiteful.
—Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
In the show, Cooke plays the regal Alicent Hightower and Glynn-Carney is her sniveling son, King Aegon Targaryen.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Played by a sniveling Casey Siemaszko, Billy is spineless and spiteful.
—Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sniveling
Adjective
-
But his crying scene in Ford v Ferrari is one for the ages.—
Michael Granberry,
Dallas News,
17 Jan. 2020
Noun
-
For there is a weeping of the whole body.—
Anne Carson,
New Yorker,
21 Aug. 2025
-
But the mood in Israel hardened dramatically when, on July 31, Hamas released a video of the skeletal 21-year-old Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski, weeping and in pain.—
Emily Rose,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The camera cuts between Dennis, who’s sobbing, and Roman, who’s horrified, processing Dennis’ betrayal.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Multiple videos show kids sobbing over losing their brain rot character.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And since then, his crying and whining have increased.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
-
As seen and heard this week at the SEC spring meetings, the whining over that has not ceased.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Locals are sentimental about the happy, drunken teen graduates, who are thanked by strangers for their future contributions to Denmark.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The conceit is inherently crowdpleasing — a man stumbling into strangers’ lives and finding unexpected connection — but Hikari steers it with earnestness, elevating it beyond sentimental comedy.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
After a mawkish beginning, the play somewhat redeems itself through earned emotions and an ambiguous ending that begs discussion.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
-
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, jailed and banned frequently, has never allowed his work to get mawkish.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Cinderella Man is unalloyed emotional manipulation, and while the cast all dig into the maudlin hooey — Paul Giamatti is especially good as the crusty trainer — nothing here has the spark of real life.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
-
He’s also invested his protagonist with a self-deprecating sense of humor that keeps his pessimism from veering into maudlin territory.—
Book Marks
June 27,
Literary Hub,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sniveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sniveling. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share