whine

verb

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\ ˈ(h)wīn

whined; whining

Definition of whine

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

: to utter or express with or as if with a whine

whine

noun

Definition 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

Other Words from whine Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about whine

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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 Maybe the opening scene is etched into your neural network too, the ’80s synth chords rising portentously as the Tomcats whine their way into position on the flight deck. — Sarah Fallon, Wired, "The Secret History of the First Microprocessor, the F-14, and Me," 23 Dec. 2020 The girl knows better than to whine about a stomach ache. — Rebecca Curtis, The New Yorker, "Hansa and Gretyl and Piece of Shit," 9 Nov. 2020 Donald Trump may whine on Twitter that the network isn’t covering him all the time, but there’s only so much time in a day. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Is Fox News Ready for Former President Trump?," 2 Nov. 2020 The Democrats prefer to whine about Republican extremism rather than retaliate. — David Faris, The New Republic, "Four New Justices, No Matter What," 22 Sep. 2020 If your kids whine about how sticky or chalky your family’s tube of sunscreen is, swap it out for a more palatable formula. — Alaina Raftis, Woman's Day, "6 Genius Ways to Get Your Kids to Wear Sunscreen," 12 May 2020 And his job isn't to whine about it, his job is to do something about it. — Stephen Collinson With Caitlin Hu, CNN, "The world isn't laughing at America -- it's pitying us," 28 June 2020 No one whined for slushies or to go on the carousel. — Karina Bland, azcentral, "What happened when two moms went to the zoo without any kids," 3 Mar. 2020 Detroit was whining about the officiating after its loss to Green Bay, probably justifiably so after defensive end Trey Flowers was called for two suspect penalties. — Ryan O’halloran, The Denver Post, "NFL Week 7 Picks: Eagles face Cowboys for first place in NFC East," 20 Oct. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Something is definitely amiss in our system, namely a president who makes whine from sour grapes — and the army of sycophantic panderers who enable him. — Gilbert Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Garcia: Paxton makes a fool of himself with lawsuit," 11 Dec. 2020 Once more, however, this intensely satisfactory state of affairs was disturbed by the whine of an approaching car engine. — Steve King, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why Travelers Are Heading to France's Jura Region for Wine and Comté," 1 Dec. 2020 As if the blower whine weren't enough to warn other drivers that this SUV isn't the 475-hp Durango SRT 392, Dodge affixes plenty of Hellcat badges to the exterior. — Connor Hoffman, Car and Driver, "Tested: 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Unchains the Family SUV," 30 Nov. 2020 Daphne also tows a hydrophone to collect corroborating audio, such as the whine of a hydraulic winch hoisting a fishing net. — Vanessa Minke-martin, Smithsonian Magazine, "A New Generation of Autonomous Vessels Is Looking to Catch Illegal Fishers," 19 Nov. 2020 But rather than whine, our profe urged resistance through engagement with the real world and — just as important — knowledge. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, "Column: Remembering Juan Gómez Quiñones, Chicano studies legend and professor to all of L.A.," 17 Nov. 2020 That’s true even when the system is drawing over 200W at its heaviest gaming load, a welcome change from the high-speed fan whine of the PS4 and PS4 Pro during high-end gameplay. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "PlayStation 5 review: Not just a more-powerful PS4," 6 Nov. 2020 The fan also emits a constant high whine, a minor annoyance but one worth mentioning. — Paige Szmodis, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Portable Fire Pits to Bring From the Backyard to the Campsite," 10 Nov. 2020 From its supercharger whine to its deep idle that can be felt inside nearby buildings to its diabolical full-throttle roar, the TRX is drunk on power. — Mike Sutton, Car and Driver, "Tested: 2021 Ram 1500 TRX vs. 2020 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew," 23 Oct. 2020

These 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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Last Updated

7 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Whine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whine. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021.

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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

noun

English 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

\ ˈhwīn

, ˈwīn \

whined; whining

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.