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

Katie Miller can whine all she wants, but I have a feeling the kids aren’t listening.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 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

Let’s not whine “They did _______ to us in Europe” or “It’s the Ryder Cup, it’s different.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025

In a twitch, a head tilt or a whine, Indy communicates his emotions: curious, lonely, contented, confused, fretful, desperate or petrified.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2025

As we walked away, Kutti gave a little whine, but he didn’t try to follow.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman

Related Words

• gripe
• moan
• wail
• whimper