Cries while breathing in convulsing bursts, making sharp, emotional sounds during sadness or distress.
From Middle English 'sobben,' of uncertain origin but possibly imitative of the sound of crying. Some etymologists suggest it may relate to Old Norse 'sobbi,' also meaning 'weeping.' The '-s' here represents the third-person singular present tense or plural noun form.
Sobbing is uniquely human—even our closest primate relatives don't cry emotionally like we do! Some scientists think emotional tears evolved because they signal genuine distress and vulnerability, making deception harder and building empathy in others around us.
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