whining

American

[wahy-ning, hwahy-] / ˈwaɪ nɪŋ, ˈʰwaɪ- /

adjective

uttering a nasal, complaining cry, as from peevishness, discontent, uneasiness, etc..

If there’s one sound that makes me want to tear my ears off, it’s the sound of a whining tomcat.
Our daughter has grown from a whining child on the first day of playgroup to one who asks to go even on Saturdays.
complaining in a petulant, self-pitying way.

Those whining people who blame everyone and think everyone is against them need to grow up.
making or being a drawn-out, high-pitched sound.

In courtship, the male of the white-eyed vireo displays to the female by fluffing its plumage, spreading its tail, and uttering a whining call.

noun

the act or habit of crying or complaining in a peevish way.

Can I give you a bit more work today if I have to, and not get any whining from you?
the act of making a drawn-out, high-pitched sound.

A few hours later the whining of a chainsaw began.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

whinings

plural

Etymology

Origin of whining

First recorded in 1400–50; whin(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; whin(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

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:

whining whinings

We addressed the problems in our life, not in a whining way, but in a way where we look for solutions and found them sometimes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

Some derided these savers for whining about good fortune: “My steak is too juicy and my lobster is too buttery.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Sometimes he portrays her as a shrew, whining last year about how he’d be “in trouble” if he forgot to mention their anniversary during a speech.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

The epic whining heard across MLB over the Tarik Skubal acquisition is evidence Andrew Friedman and Dodgers management are a masterclass in demonstrating creative leadership to cultivate a winning ballclub.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

And that makes me smile because she totally is whining.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

So why should anyone care about the whinings of the press?

From US News ● Mar. 11, 2016

All kinds of vibrations now, high whinings and low rumbles.

From New York Times ● Mar. 8, 2011

For 15 years the midnight ocean is made hideous by the howls and whinings of the imprisoned first-mate.

From Time Magazine Archive

But the jolting hurt Old Yeller till sometimes he couldn’t hold back his whinings.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson

As for the whinings of M. de Bloch and Frau v.

From Gems (?) of German Thought by William Archer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023