whine
verb
ˈwīn\
Definition of whine
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : 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
: to utter or express with or as if with a whine
whine
nounDefinition of whine (Entry 2 of 2)
1a : 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
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Other Words from whine
Verb
ˈwī-
\
adverb
Noun
ˈwī-
\
adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for whine
Synonyms: Verb
beef, bellyache, bleat, carp, caterwaul, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, kick, moan, murmur, mutter, nag, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, yammer, yawp (or yaup), yowl
Synonyms: Noun
beef, bleat, carp, complaint, fuss, grievance, gripe, grouch, grouse, grumble, holler, lament, moan, murmur, plaint, squawk, wail, whimper, yammer
Antonyms: Verb
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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
Photo: john cetrino/epa-efe/rex/Shutterstock None of this makes a difference to whine about right now. — Jason Gay, WSJ, "The Nightmare of Baseball (and Basketball) Bedtimes," 24 Oct. 2018 Within seconds, the hotel alarm begins to whine and a recorded voice begins to alert guests. — David Montero, latimes.com, "Vegas police release first video of officers breaching door of mass shooter at Mandalay Bay," 2 May 2018 Fox News to whine about the unfair bias by throwing shade at Black Lives Matter, dope boys and everything black. — Lisa Gutierrez, kansascity, "9 things about Diamond and Silk: Why Facebook says Trump-loving sisters are 'unsafe' | The Kansas City Star," 10 Apr. 2018 So no group of NFL fans can whine that their team has to play nine conference games while other teams only have to play eight. — Andy Staples, SI.com, "‘Strategic Entertainment’ vs. Entertaining Entertainment: The Flip Side of the NFL-CFB Debate," 11 July 2018 Fathers doled out powdered milk mixed with water in bottles to whining toddlers. — Molly Hennessy-fiske, latimes.com, "Caught in limbo, Central American asylum-seekers are left waiting on a bridge over the Rio Grande," 5 June 2018 It’s time for America to toughen up, stop whining, and get to work. — Hal Boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Eric Bolling brings new show to Daytona Beach," 2 July 2018 Chris whines and pleads, but Wills stands his ground. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, "The Bachelorette Season 14 Episode 5 Recap: These Guys Are All the Worst," 25 June 2018 Stardom awaits Moncada but the spotlight need not include longer, harder looks from umpires unwilling to give any close calls to the kid whose manager whined about his strike zone. — David Haugh, chicagotribune.com, "Rick Renteria's gripe only makes it tougher for Yoan Moncada," 13 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Onboard the train, the pugs slept in their bags at our feet, invisible to most of the people sitting near us, aside from an occasional whine or bark. — Steve Eder, New York Times, "Pups Onboard: Why Trains Are a Great Way to Travel With Your Dog(s)," 19 June 2018 Expect a whine from the center if someone has to sit there. — Scott Sturgis, Philly.com, "2018 Stelvio rounds out the Alfa Romeo lineup," 12 July 2018 With its electronic appendages unleashing an animatronic whine that falls somewhere between an electronic knife and a Xerox machine, Atlas even stops to hop over a log before casually going on his bipedal way. — Peter Holley, chicagotribune.com, "Video of jogging humanoid robot scares internet," 14 May 2018 Let the old cranks at the diner whine about all the money being wasted on ramps, or all the best parking spaces now being off-limits. — Neil Swidey, BostonGlobe.com, "How Democrats would be better off if Bill Clinton had never been president," 10 July 2018 With its electronic appendages unleashing an animatronic whine that falls somewhere between an electronic knife and a Xerox machine, Atlas even stops to hop over a log before casually going on his bipedal way. — Peter Holley, chicagotribune.com, "Video of jogging humanoid robot scares internet," 14 May 2018 The whine came from battery-powered racecars running laps on a course laid out on the streets of Zurich — the first urban circuit race in Switzerland in more than half a century. — Jack Ewing, New York Times, "Racing Series Helps Show the Way to a Battery-Powered Future," 5 July 2018 The males' antennae act as tuning forks, resonating to the whine produced by the wings of females. — Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, "Only female mosquitoes bother us (and other facts about the insects Alaskans love to hate)," 7 July 2018 When Dumas went out on his first run, what noise there was came from the whine of the electric motors and the annoying siren that EVs are required to run during the race. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "7:57:148—Volkswagen makes racing history with record-breaking electric race car," 29 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Statistics for whine
Last Updated
13 Nov 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for whine
The first known use of whine was in the 13th century
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More Definitions for whine
whine
verb
English Language Learners Definition of whine
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to complain in an annoying way
: to make a high, crying sound
: to make a high and unpleasant sound that continues for a long time
whine
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of whine (Entry 2 of 2)
: a high and unpleasant sound that continues for a long time
See the full definition for whine in the English Language Learners Dictionary
whine
verb
ˈwīn\
Kids Definition of whine
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to make a high-pitched troubled cry or a similar sound He was so eager to join her I could hear him whining as he swam.— Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows
2 : to complain by or as if by whining “I always get blamed,” she whined.
whine
nounKids Definition of whine (Entry 2 of 2)
: a high-pitched troubled or complaining cry or sound
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