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One of the strengths of the English language is the nuance it exhibits when called upon to supply words for every possible kind of whining and complaining. We English users vent, we lament, we fuss and grouse and kvetch. We also—especially those of us across the pond—have a tendency to whinge. Contrary to appearances, whinge is etymologically distinct from whine. The latter traces to an Old English verb, hwīnan, meaning "to hum or whir like a speeding object (such as an arrow) through the air." When hwīnan became whine in Middle English, it meant "to wail distressfully"; whine didn't acquire its "complain" sense until the 16th century. Whinge, on the other hand, comes from a different Old English verb, hwinsian, meaning "to wail or moan discontentedly." Whinge retains that original sense today, though nowadays it puts less emphasis on the sound of the complaining and more on the discontentment behind all the whinging and moaning.
Synonyms
Examples of whinge in a Sentence
Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2023
There is plenty of whinging going on here, but both Goop and the cruise ship industry feel like fair targets, and Oyler’s dry humor still manages to lift this piece up.
—Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 19 Apr. 2023
Toddlers scream, children whinge and teenagers complain.
—Emma Baty, Redbook, 23 May 2017
Dictionary Entries Near whinge
Cite this Entry
“Whinge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whinge. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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