whine

American  

[hwahyn, wahyn] / ʰwaɪn, waɪn /

verb (used without object)

whined, whining

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)

whined, whining

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

   I whined my litany of complaints.

noun

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

Related Words

See complain.

Other Word Forms

• whiner noun
• whining adjective
• whiningly adverb

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

Example Sentences

The howl and whine of the opening few bars of “Chains of Love” conjure images of the ghostly moors, before transforming into a catchy midtempo pop number.

From The Wall Street Journal

Up has gone a mighty whine from actors, directors and other Hollywood traditionalists against the disruptive streamer walking off with HBO, a time-honored studio and storytelling brands like Superman, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Why? It’s my last one,” she says in the brief clip, whining a bit as she stands on a ladder and struggles to clip some wires.

From Los Angeles Times

My voice goes up an octave, edging dangerously close to a babyish whine.

From Literature

Orion, a small Pomeranian, sat up and made a whining sound.

From Literature

Related Words

• gripe
• moan
• wail
• whimper