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

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 • 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

On “Me Ha Costado,” Vega, who hails from Baja California Sur, combines blown-out 808s with a G-funk whine to create a pan-Californian posse track.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

Always a sour type who liked to whine that he had always been treated unfairly, he nurtured a long list of grievances against a long list of perceived enemies.

From Salon • Sep. 23, 2025

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

Related Words

• gripe
• moan
• wail
• whimper