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

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

“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

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 • Feb. 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

The Chernihiv city resident spoke in matter-of-fact terms about a night filled with the low whine of Iranian-designed Shahed drones, a sound now being increasingly heard far from the war's front lines.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2025

Jonathan recognized the noise as Moose’s hunger whine; the dog did it promptly at six every night unless Jonathan fed him before then.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Related Words

• gripe
• moan
• wail
• whimper