whining

American  

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

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

• unwhining adjective
• unwhiningly adverb
• whiningly adverb

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

Standing on the rim of the hole and peering down at me, he started whining and whimpering and fidgeting around.

From Literature

“Why? It’s my last one,” she says in the brief clip, whining a bit as she stands on a ladder and struggles to clip some wires.

From Los Angeles Times

Orion, a small Pomeranian, sat up and made a whining sound.

From Literature

That would certainly please his parents, who didn't like barking and whining one bit.

From Literature

“Then I realized that Alice is boring. She just wanders around whining about everything.”

From Literature

Related Words

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