whine

American  

[hwahyn, wahyn] / ʰwaɪn, waɪn /

verb (used without object)

• whines,
  present (3rd person singular)
• whined,
  past participle,  past
• whining
  present participle

1. to utter a low, usually nasal, complaining cry or sound, as from uneasiness, discontent, peevishness, etc..

   The puppies were whining from hunger.

   Synonyms:

   whimper, moan

2. to snivel or complain in a peevish, self-pitying way.

   He is always whining about his problems.

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verb (used with object)

• whines,
  present (3rd person singular)
• whined,
  past participle,  past
• whining
  present participle

1. to utter with or as if with a whine.

   I whined my litany of complaints.

noun

• whines
  plural

1. a whining utterance, sound, or tone.

2. a feeble, peevish complaint.

whine British  

/ waɪn /

noun

1. a long high-pitched plaintive cry or moan

2. a continuous high-pitched sound

3. a peevish complaint, esp one repeated

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verb

1. to make a whine or utter in a whine

Synonym Usage

See complain.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• whiner
  noun
• whining
  adjective
• whiningly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• whines
  plural

Participles

• whining
  present
• whined
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• whine
  simple
• whines
  simple
• have whined
  perfect
• has whined
  perfect
• am whining
  progressive
• are whining
  progressive
• is whining
  progressive
• have been whining
  perfect progressive
• has been whining
  perfect progressive

Past

• whined
  simple
• had whined
  perfect
• was whining
  progressive
• were whining
  progressive
• had been whining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will whine
  simple
• will have whined
  perfect
• will be whining
  progressive
• will have been whining
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of whine

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English verb whinen “to groan in pain or distress; make animal sounds, whimper, whinny, squeal,” Old English hwīnan (of an arrow) “to whiz, buzz, hum”; cognate with Old Norse hvīna, of imitative origin

Explanation

When you whine, you complain in a pitiful, annoying way. Your younger sister will whine if your piece of cake is bigger than hers. Whine is both a noun and a verb. The verb means "to complain bitterly." Kids tend to cry or even yell when they whine, though most adults settle for constant griping and an unwillingness to let it go already. "Poor me" and "It isn't fair" — these are common whines. Whine can describe a high-pitched, screeching noise, like the squeak made by an old, broken machine.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whine whines whined whining

People can whine all they want, but math doesn’t lie.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

“The Sheep Detectives” introduces this talent lightheartedly, with Lily suggesting they forget some minor unpleasantness, counting to three, and pausing as a high-pitched whine slices the air.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

Over the whine of buzzsaws and the steady whir of sanders, hundreds of Vietnamese workers in a factory outside Ho Chi Minh City hustle to fill orders for high-end furniture.

From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026

On “Me Ha Costado,” Vega, who hails from Baja California Sur, combines blown-out 808s with a G-funk whine to create a pan-Californian posse track.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025

A truck shot past in a whine of spray.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Jessie whines about the good old days all the time — how fun is that?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

No one whines about having to clean the bathroom or having a night shift.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2025

You'll notice that his persecution complex was in full effect even then, as he whines to Walters that nobody's ever been treated as unfairly as he has been.

From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2024

All week I’d reveled in the cackles of leaf monkeys, hoots of gibbons, and barks of macaques, plus choruses of birds and frogs—all backed by the hums and whines of insects.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 23, 2024

Oriana has a little silver leash she attaches to Oak’s wrist, which strikes me as not the worst idea, although he whines and sits in the dirt in protest, like a cat.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

“Everything she says in her post about me can be shown to be demonstrably false with a simple search,” Musk whined in one reply.

From Slate ● Nov. 13, 2025

"Mom, don't write a letter like that to your son!" he whined straight into the camera.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024

“But I just want you to try,” I whined.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2024

According to NBC News, he whined "no one is defending me" and pouted over the fact that there wasn't a big crowd of protesters outside.

From Salon ● May 10, 2024

“That’s not my fault,” whined Mulch, pointing to the spasming Wart-face.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

But it should also be said that Ms. Northeast, who has a face that might launch a thousand miniseries, makes this one immune to much whining.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Upstairs, children pore over schoolbooks, mothers prepare lunch and television sets flicker in cramped living rooms, all against the constant background noise of shredders whining and baling presses pounding below.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

Actors spend years building a certain cool image, but within seconds of appearing onscreen in this movie, you’re whining, farting and generally making an ass of yourself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Bridges, in particular, has found a new level, making Knicks fans forget all the whining they did about the draft pick-swallowing trade they made for him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

Bonnie wasn't much of a shopper, but after a pronounced bout of whining, she decided she wouldn't mind adding to her lifelong angel collection.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

• gripe
• moan
• wail
• whimper