whine
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a whining utterance, sound, or tone.
-
a feeble, peevish complaint.
noun
-
a long high-pitched plaintive cry or moan
-
a continuous high-pitched sound
-
a peevish complaint, esp one repeated
verb
Synonym Usage
See complain.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
whinesimple
-
whinessimple
-
have whinedperfect
-
has whinedperfect
-
am whiningprogressive
-
are whiningprogressive
-
is whiningprogressive
-
have been whiningperfect progressive
-
has been whiningperfect progressive
Past
-
whinedsimple
-
had whinedperfect
-
was whiningprogressive
-
were whiningprogressive
-
had been whiningperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing whine
Instead of "Said": Words For Sad Speech
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act IV
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Coming upon the Boston Tea Party, it’s inevitable he’ll whine about not being invited.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
People can whine all they want, but math doesn’t lie.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
In Northern Virginia, residents near data centers have complained of a constant high-pitched whine from cooling and backup equipment, serious enough to drive people indoors.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 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
The dragons have started to screech and whine, but Ma ignores them and takes out the gold pocket watch instead.
From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
