whiny
Americanadjective
adjective
-
high-pitched and plaintive
-
peevish; complaining
Usage
What does whiny mean? Whiny is an adjective describing someone who is complaining in an annoying way, especially in a high-pitched tone of voice. To whine is to moan or make a high-pitched cry, or to say something in such a way. It also means to complain, especially by talking in such a way. Whiny is always used negatively to criticize such behavior. It can be used to describe a person or their words or actions. It is also spelled whiney. Example: People might help you with your problems if you weren’t so whiny about them.
Other Word Forms
- whininess noun
Etymology
Origin of whiny
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.
Yes, Dawson was whiny and moody and extremely self-centered, but so are a lot of teenagers.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026
The stream of implementation emails is so whiny and ridiculous it should be funny.
From Slate • Feb. 3, 2025
Then again, some dogs are just more inclined to bark than others based on their breed, with Siberian huskies particularly notorious for being whiny.
From Salon • Aug. 4, 2024
In another comment, the same critical commenter cited a documentary in which two daughters — “who sounded very whiny for grown adults “ — claimed they were abandoned.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2024
“Leave me alone,” Natalie says in a whiny, fakey voice, as if that’s how I sounded.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
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.
