whining

[wahy-ning, hwahy-]

adjective

1. 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.

2. complaining in a petulant, self-pitying way.

   Those whining people who blame everyone and think everyone is against them need to grow up.

3. 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

1. 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?

2. the act of making a drawn-out, high-pitched sound.

   A few hours later the whining of a chainsaw began.

Other Word Forms

• whiningly adverb
• unwhining adjective
• unwhiningly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of whining¹

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

He wasted no time whining about his losses, or imagining there was some way to recapture the ring’s value.

Read more on Literature

He’s well-off but constantly whining about how much debt he’s drowning in.

Read more on Salon

He has a few moments that play so close to comedy — say, whining to be let into the bathroom — that you wish the movie would do more to encourage our pained, guttural laughs.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In one ad, he tapped Morgan Spector, the bearded star of the HBO hit “The Gilded Age,” to roast the rich for whining about socialism while chomping on lobster.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Would you prefer for your team to be owned by someone whining about the Dodgers and their payroll, or someone dedicated to beating them?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cranky 
• fractious 
• impatient 
• irritable 
• perverse 
• sullen 
• testy 
• whiny