pules

Pules is the third-person singular present tense of the English verb pule. Pule means to cry or whine softly and plaintively, often in a way that expresses fear, pain, dissatisfaction, or a desire for attention. The sound is typically described as low, gentle, and resembling a whimper more than a scream or shout.

Usage tends toward literary, descriptive, or colloquial contexts rather than formal or technical writing. It is commonly applied to animals—such as kittens, puppies, or young birds—reacting to distress or seeking comfort, though it can also describe a human’s mild, plaintive complaint. The form pules appears when rendering a sentence in which a subject performs this whine-like action.

Etymology of pule is uncertain, with attestations dating to earlier stages of English. The sense is clearly linked to making a soft, pitiful cry, rather than to a harsh or loud vocalization. In modern usage, pule and its derivatives are relatively infrequent outside narrative prose and poetry, contributing a nuanced tone that suggests vulnerability or dependence.

Pules is primarily a verbal form; as a noun, the word pule is uncommon, and references to a “pule” as a distinct object are rare. The participle form puling (or the gerund) is more commonly encountered when describing the act itself, as in “the animal’s puling grew quieter.”

Example: The fox pules at the moon, a soft, mournful sound carried on the cold night air.