whined; whining
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
Berton Roueché
: to utter or express with or as if with a whine
whiner
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
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
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2026
Part of it is [capturing] the color of light in the morning or the sound of drones whining in the air.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
No suspicious whine in the air, no burning of pungent oils to put off biters.
—Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whine
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Verb
With LeBron James buying into a supporting actor role, the Lakers are a legitimate threat because Doncic is more focused on scoring buckets than whining to officials.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2026
Part of it is [capturing] the color of light in the morning or the sound of drones whining in the air.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
Village sounds of chickens and goats were pierced by the distant whine of commercial jets climbing out of Agadir’s international airport.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
No suspicious whine in the air, no burning of pungent oils to put off biters.
—Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whine
Cite this Entry
“Whine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whine. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
whine
2 of 2 noun1
: a whining cry or sound
2
: a complaint uttered with or as if with a whine
whiny
adjective
ˈhwi-nē,
ˈwī-
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