whine
Americanverb (used without object)
-
whines,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whined,
past participle, past
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whining
present participle
verb (used with object)
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whines,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whined,
past participle, past
-
whining
present participle
noun
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whines
plural
-
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
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has whinedperfect
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am whiningprogressive
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are whiningprogressive
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is whiningprogressive
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have been whiningperfect progressive
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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.
See Examples For:
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
Their opponents always whine about that, and Reaves even stayed on the court after Thursday’s final buzzer to vent to the referees about that, but just … don’t.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 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
It was a sad, pitiful, almost musical whine.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
The story is simple: The dad flusters, fidgets and whines; the girl gobbles room service as though aspiring to become human foie gras.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
No one whines about having to clean the bathroom or having a night shift.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2025
He has to sit still and do what he's told, which he whines about ad nauseum when he's outside of court.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 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
Kennedy has a small tantrum because we don’t have time to wait for a fresh batch, and the whole ride back she whines about how she’s wasting her calories on something she doesn’t really want.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
After that experience, she whined about how the contest was rigged.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2025
The craft beeped awake, arched its hawklike shoulders, and whined off into the valley.
From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2024
“But I just want you to try,” I whined.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2024
To my adolescent annoyance, my mom often employed Yoda’s infamous, “Do. Or do not. There is no try,” when I whined about school or sports.
From Salon ● May 4, 2024
Aaron whined louder and Ivy bounced him around the room.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
Or do we just revert to whining about our dopey NFL fantasy teams?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 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
For a while, every morning at 5:58 my one dog, Dot, would start whining and moving around until I’d go “yeah, OK, let’s feed you.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
“I don’t know what y’all are whining about,” he once said as the crowd jeered him after yet another victory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
This morning, he does not blow air out of the side of his mouth at her whining.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
