whine

1 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wīn 

whined; whining

intransitive verb

1

a

: to utter a high-pitched plaintive or distressed cry

b

: to make a sound similar to such a cry

the wind whined in the chimney

2

: to complain with or as if with a whine

always whining about the weather

3

: to move or proceed with the sound of a whine

the bullet whined … across the ice

—Berton Roueché

transitive verb

: to utter or express with or as if with a whine

whiner noun

whine

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a prolonged high-pitched cry usually expressive of distress or pain

b

: a sound resembling such a cry

2

: a complaint uttered with or as if with a whine

Synonyms

Verb

• beef
• bellyache
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• caterwaul
• complain
• crab
• croak
• fuss
• gripe
• grizzle
• grouch
• grouse
• growl
• grumble
• grump
• holler
• inveigh
• keen
• kick
• kvetch
• maunder [chiefly British]
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• repine
• scream
• squawk
• squeal
• wail
• whimper
• whinge [British]
• yammer
• yawp
• yaup
• yowl

Noun

• beef
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• complaint
• fuss
• grievance
• gripe
• grouch
• grouse
• grumble
• holler
• kvetch
• lament
• miserere
• moan
• murmur
• plaint
• squawk
• wail
• whimper
• whinge [British]
• yammer

Examples of whine in a Sentence

Verb

He's always whining about the weather.

Quit whining and finish your dinner.

“I want to leave now,” she whined.

The workers were whining that the office was too cold.

The dog was whining because it wanted to go out.

The electric saw whined as it cut through the wood.

Noun

the whine of a jet engine

the perennial whine that movies aren't as good as they used to be

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Now even Sean McDermott, coach of the Bills team that lost to the Chiefs last Sunday in the AFC championship games, is running with the crowd and whining that a team having the kind of extraordinary run the Chiefs are having doesn’t get here without the refs. —Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 1 Feb. 2025

Walter Lippmann in Public Opinion whines about this. —Sean Illing, Vox, 1 Feb. 2025

Noun

Fritz revved the engine, a desperate, needling whine, and the vessel lurched down the airstrip, the chute billowing awake behind him. —Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

Families fall asleep to the thump of nearby airstrikes and the constant whine of an Israeli drone overhead. —Raf Sanchez, NBC News, 25 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English hwīnan to whiz; akin to Old Norse hvīna to whiz

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

whine

1 of 2 verb

ˈhwīn 

ˈwīn

whined; whining

1

: to make a shrill troubled cry or a similar sound

a child whining

the electric saw whined as it cut the wood

2

: to complain with or as if with a whine

always whining about his chores

whiner noun

whiningly

ˈhwī-niŋ-lē 

ˈwī-

adverb

whine

2 of 2 noun

1

: a whining cry or sound

2

: a complaint uttered with or as if with a whine

whiny

ˈhwi-nē

ˈwī-

adjective