whinny

1 of 2

verb

whin·​ny ˈ(h)wi-nē 

whinnied; whinnying

intransitive verb

: to neigh especially in a low or gentle way

transitive verb

: to utter with or as if with a whinny

whinny

2 of 2

noun

plural whinnies

1

: the neigh of a horse especially when low or gentle

2

: a sound resembling a neigh

Synonyms of whinny

Verb

• neigh
• nicker

Examples of whinny in a Sentence

Verb

I heard the horse whinnying.

the father whinnied and reared as his young daughter pretended to ride him

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In the field, Harry Truman’s Approval Rating whinnied and tossed its head, and Richard Nixon’s Approval Rating flopped on one side and emitted a horrible gurgle. — Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026

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. — Chris Torres, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Jan. 2026

Noun

Dick gave a whinny and stared at the water. — Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026

The natural world is a cacophony of squawks, screeches, coos, chirps, whinnies, grunts, growls, and more. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

circa 1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for whinny

• finny
• ginny
• jinny
• mini
• minnie
• ninny
• pinnae
• skinny
• spinney
• spline
• swinney
• tinny

Kids Definition

whinny

1 of 2 verb

whin·​ny ˈhwin-ē 

ˈwin-

whinnied; whinnying

: to neigh especially in a low or gentle manner

whinny

2 of 2 noun

plural whinnies

: the neigh of a horse especially when low or gentle