whinny 1 of 2

as in to neigh
to make the cry typical of a horse the father whinnied and reared as his young daughter pretended to ride him

Synonyms & Similar Words

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whinny

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whinny
Verb
The downy woodpecker also whinnies like a miniature horse throughout the breeding season. Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025 That doesn’t include food for the horses, who start whinnying. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024 Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth is one of the oldest proverbs known to humankind, whinnying back at least 1,500 years. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2024 Kenny was large for his age, with a flat, flabby face and a high, whinnying voice. Aryn Kyle, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024 Some unidentified whinnying joins the cacophony that accompanies gentrification—brash and brazen, with a total disregard for anything other than its own bullish desire. Rebecca Haithcoat, GQ, 5 June 2018 The 10-year-old mare bucked, whinnied, and galloped, sensing the pride of victory. Mitchell Gladstone, Philly.com, 2 June 2018 The forecast was calling for rain the next day, an element as necessary for all this — the flowering plant life, the whinnying animal life — as is the sun. John Kelly, Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2018
Noun
This works, Brian says, and leans back against the wall, the dog panting less, the faint whinny of a horse, an airplane. Paul Yoon, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024 One of the horses fell on its side, its high whinny like a human scream. Nick Romano, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2022 Laughter punctuates the exaggerated whinnies, proving that the source is not in fact a horse. Kalyn Kahler, SI.com, 11 June 2018 But the methodical, meditative act of grooming a horse — brush, brush, brush — and the smell of hay and the gentle whinnies from the 1,200-pound creature have been therapy for Alger. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 17 May 2018 An astonishing collection of laughs — whinnies, giggles, squeals, snorts, heaves — gradually colors the narrative, until this seemingly harmless man becomes, in effect, not just a witness to savagery, but also an accessory. Jesse Green, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2018 Animal grunts and growls, horse neighs and whinnies. Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Apr. 2018 More important, the track is where Charley meets a pretty quarter horse named Lean on Pete, whose velvety brown coat and barely audible whinnies become a balm for the lonely teenager. Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2018 Cloris Leachman was Frau Blücher, the sound of whose name caused horses to whinny in fear. Daniel Lewis, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whinny
Verb
  • Across from them in their usual stalls stood the eight neighing horses.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The band joked about adding a neighing horse to the intro, and Rimes quickly inserted that sound from his plug-in collection.
    Tom Roland, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2024
Noun
  • The jungle struck up its evening symphony: the sweet chittering of insects, the distant bellowing of monkeys, the occasional screech of a kite.
    Charlie Cordero, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
  • But as the race against former President Trump screeches into its final week, joy has taken the back seat.
    David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • The soldiers muttered encouragement; their horses nickered.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied.
    James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024
Noun
  • But their therapy session is deliberately drowned out by the squeals of a nameless naked couple romping in the back.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2025
  • The associate principal clarinetist, Ben Adler, led the opening upward squeal with exultant sassiness, setting the tone for a high-spirited romp that brought grins to the faces of many onstage.
    Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Goats in real life are smart, sensitive social creatures who communicate through bleats and body language.
    Michael Freeman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Every night the lamb would cry, and be told to hush, for its bleats disturbed their sleep.
    Karen Zautyk, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • The Republican conference is rife with sticking points as budget hawks squawk and some House Republicans insist on increasing the state and local tax deduction.
    Taylor Giorno, The Hill, 30 Dec. 2024
  • There’s no dialogue, at least none decipherable to human ears — everything is a symphony of meows, woofs, squawks, grunts, squeaks, squeals and simian cries.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • And the acoustic details to amplify the roar of the crowd.
    Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Rudolph’s free-form use of onscreen effects and graphics extracts in visual form the manic contents of this inner verbal roar.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Most people know what a yelp sounds like, but probably not all the subtlety within a series of yelps.
    Scott Einsmann, Outdoor Life, 12 Feb. 2025
  • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 97th Oscars this morning, and as usual, there were yelps of joy throughout the land: Viva Anora!
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2025

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“Whinny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whinny. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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