whinge
Americanverb (used without object)
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whinges,
present (3rd person singular)
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whinged,
past participle, past
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whinging,
present participle
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whingeing
present participle
verb
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to cry in a fretful way
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to complain
noun
Usage
What does whinge mean? Whinge means to complain or whine. Whinge is primarily used in the U. K. and Australia. Like whine, whinge can mean to make a whining noise (often as part of complaining), or to complain with such a tone, or simply to complain in a way that’s considered annoying. When you say that someone’s whinging, you’re criticizing them because they’re complaining in an annoying way, especially about something minor. Whinge can also be used as a noun referring to a complaint, but this use is much less common than its verb sense. The variant spelling winge is primarily used in Australia. Example: John’s mother told him not to whinge about having to spend time with his relatives.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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whingesimple
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whingessimple
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have whingedperfect
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has whingedperfect
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am whingeingprogressive
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am whingingprogressive
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are whingeingprogressive
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are whingingprogressive
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is whingeingprogressive
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is whingingprogressive
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have been whingeingperfect progressive
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have been whingingperfect progressive
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has been whingeingperfect progressive
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has been whingingperfect progressive
Past
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whingedsimple
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had whingedperfect
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was whingeingprogressive
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was whingingprogressive
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were whingeingprogressive
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were whingingprogressive
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had been whingeingperfect progressive
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had been whingingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of whinge
First recorded before 1150; dialectal Scots, North England, earlier Scots quhynge, Old English hwinsian (not recorded in Middle English ); cognate with Old High German winsōn ( German winseln ); derivative of Germanic base of whine
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:
You will whinge to the school and demand meetings and they will say they hear your concern and nothing will happen,’ ” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2024
Normally a lead at the Masters with two holes to play would be cause to whinge about why Augusta National doesn’t attach airsickness bags to the pines, but here the nervous system could lounge.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 10, 2022
It can be physically unsettling as we begin to move and our heart rates and breathing quicken and muscles start to whinge.
From New York Times ● Oct. 14, 2021
“At times it did stress me out but never was I allowed to whinge, allowed to be a human and say: ‘Today has got too much for me.’
From The Guardian ● Sep. 25, 2019
Self-conscious writers are also apt to whinge about how what they’re about to do is so terribly difficult and complicated and controversial: What are intractable conflicts?
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
He added: "With some of the comments that have been made, we're now in danger of looking like a sport that whinges when it loses, and that's not the sport I recognise."
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2021
As long as no one whinges about anything, inertia will keep things the same.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 25, 2019
“She’s always sad, she whinges all the time, she doesn’t stop crying. Why are we compelled?”
From The Guardian ● Jul. 14, 2018
“Everyone wrings their hands and whinges out about young girls, but we can’t get into schools,” Venter says.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 9, 2018
“Sixteen fifty?” whinges the old guy in his suit.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
Some of his players will have to change in the corridor, Galthie whinged.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
Certain visitors whined, whinged and wept, especially as they approached the exit.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2024
“I miss the old internet,” he whinged, “I miss going on message boards and complaining about my job and being able to say what I liked without fear that I’ll get cancelled.”
From The Guardian ● Dec. 26, 2019
Men made similar complaints about women, but whatever – I've known men who have whinged about women being "high maintenance" when they've tried to dust the TV while they're watching sport.
From The Guardian ● May 25, 2013
I whinged that it didn't smell of anything, but she pointed out I wasn't the one who had to hoover and unpick the needles from the carpet.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
And one of our sources said: "When other countries hear us whingeing they don't have much sympathy."
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2023
“Of course things go wrong. If this was easy, someone else out would do it, so stop whingeing and carry on,” he said, using a British term for whining.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2019
Ms Greer has previously sparked controversy when she accused some of the women who came forward in the wake of the #MeToo movement of "whingeing".
From BBC ● May 31, 2018
There has been no whingeing to the media, no sulking.
From The Guardian ● May 22, 2017
Once in a while, when there’s an argument, people laugh and call out to us about who’s cheating, who’s winning, and who’s whingeing.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
Since claiming the Iron Throne, however, she has been a whinging, imperious mess.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
A universal principle of politics is that whinging is not an effective substitute for organization.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 27, 2022
All the whinging about the toxic social media landscape is due to the belief that Twitter is actual communication, rather than a useless platform that delivers zingers, not argument or well-thought out ideas.
From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2017
The officer said a caller to the Nolan Show, who gave his name as Steven, had argued that police officers should get on with it "suck it up and stop their whinging".
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2016
Why you cry? till Mam is at me again.Your sister is sick in my arms and you’re there whining and whinging.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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.
