whine

play

verb \ ˈhwīn , ˈwīn \

Definition of whine

whined; whining

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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

—

whiner

noun

—

whiningly

play \ˈhwī-niŋ-lē, ˈwī-\ adverb

See whine defined for English-language learners

See whine defined for kids

Examples of whine in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of whine from the Web

A grumpy OG whining while eating his free lunch before the Super Bowl.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: While Homer Bailey shakes off the rust, let's see if there's a lesson here," 30 June 2017
A few folks have found the bolsters too big, others thought the seats were too stiff, and many whined about the absence of heating and cooling functions.

— tony markovich, Car and Driver, "2017 Ford Mustang," 28 June 2017
The day after Kowalski's naloxone doses revived Jay, more drug users trickled into McPherson Square Park, where sirens whine like white noise.

— darran simon, CNN, "Call the librarian: Unlikely heroes move to the front lines of the opioid overdose epidemic," 23 June 2017
U.S. Open The tournament ended yesterday but not before Jaime Diaz, a prominent golf writer, whined about golf's propertied class not coming to the tournament interview room (and often handing out banalities to the stenographic assembled).

— The Hive, "The Truth About the Megyn Kelly-Alex Jones Cage Match," 19 June 2017
U.S. Open The tournament ended yesterday but not before Jaime Diaz, a prominent golf writer, whined about golf’s propertied class not coming to the tournament interview room (and often handing out banalities to the stenographic assembled).

— vanityfair.com, "The Truth About the Megyn Kelly-Alex Jones Cage Match," 19 June 2017
The tournament ended yesterday but not before Jaime Diaz, a prominent golf writer, whined about golf's propertied class not coming to the tournament interview room (and often handing out banalities to the stenographic assembled).

— The Hive, "The Truth About the Megyn Kelly-Alex Jones Cage Match," 19 June 2017
Anyway, the segment rapidly devolved into two minutes of Bee and Franken trading their finest, most wicked Cruz insults: That also gave Cruz something new to whine about on Twitter: Covfefe?

— sarah rense, Esquire, "Samantha Bee and Al Franken Roasted the Hell Out of Ted Cruz," 1 June 2017
The Dodgers burned through a franchise-record 55 players and 15 starting pitchers, yet nobody whined and nobody demanded because everybody bought in.

— bill plaschke, latimes.com, "From day to day, the Dodgers stay unpredictable," 25 May 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of whine

Middle English, from Old English hwīnan to whiz; akin to Old Norse hvīna to whiz

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

whine Synonyms

Synonyms

beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, caterwaul, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, keen, kick, kvetch, maunder [chiefly British], moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, complain, whinge [British], yammer, yawp (or yaup), yowl

Antonyms

crow, delight, rejoice

Related Words

object (to), protest, quarrel (with); cavil, quibble; fret, stew, worry; blubber, cry, sob; bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament

Near Antonyms

accept, bear, countenance, endure, take, tolerate; applaud, cheer, commend

whine

noun

Definition of whine

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

—

whiny

or less commonly whiney play \ˈhwī-nē, ˈwī-\ adjective

See whine defined for English-language learners

Examples of whine in a Sentence

the whine of a jet engine
the perennial whine that movies aren't as good as they used to be

Recent Examples of whine from the Web

As the drone of a riding lawnmower and the whine of a weed-whacker cut the morning stillness, youngsters in combat fatigues strode into Jewett City Cemetery, armloads of American flags in tow.

— janice steinhagen, Courant Community, "Young Marines Bring Flags, Respect To Cemeteries," 9 June 2017
DESTIN, Fla. — The wine list at Seagar’s Steakhouse paled in comparison to the whine list a few yards away in a theater meeting room at the Hilton Sandestin.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Get used to it, coaches. The new early signing period helps level the playing field for recruits," 5 June 2017
Engine response is near-instantaneous and sonorous, too: induction growl mixes with supercharger whine and exhaust roar.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "The 2017 Jaguar F-Pace marries sport and utility," 1 June 2017
But for some eastern Long Island residents, the annual arrival of the jet set also brings the thumpety-thump of helicopters and whine of airplane engines.

— frank eltman, Fox News, "Hamptons braces for sunshine, parties, and noisy aircraft," 28 May 2017
When the whine of a mortar sounded overhead everyone mechanically plugged their ears with their fingers.

— Bloomberg.com, "Airstrikes Fuel Mosul Gains as Iraq Pushes for Quick Victory," 19 May 2017
Some folks say the high-pitched whine gets tiresome and their inch-long length is imposing.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "After 17 years underground, cicadas are swarming NC. Take a listen," 4 May 2017
The interior of an aircraft is anything but silent, with noises ranging from chatty passengers to screaming children and, of course, the constant whine — of the engines.

— christopher elliott, The Seattle Times, "Can’t sleep on airplanes? Here’s help," 26 Apr. 2017
A rewatch of the moment in which Blanchett adjusts her voice into a nasally whine to deliver the concise answer in question may, however, be in order.

— karen brill, Vanities, "Cate Blanchett Locates Her Moral Compass in Her Vagina," 8 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of whine

1633

whine Synonyms

Synonyms

beef, bitch, bleat, carp, fuss, grievance, gripe, grouch, grouse, grumble, holler, kvetch, lament, miserere, moan, murmur, plaint, squawk, wail, whimper, complaint, whinge [British], yammer

Related Words

challenge, demur, expostulation, kick, niggle [chiefly British], objection, protest, quibble, remonstrance, stink

Near Antonyms

commendation, compliment, plaudit; acclaim, applause, praise; approval, endorsement (also indorsement), sanction

WHINE Defined for English Language Learners

whine

play

verb

Definition of whine for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of whine for English Language Learners

: a high and unpleasant sound that continues for a long time

WHINE Defined for Kids

whine

play

verb \ ˈhwīn , ˈwīn \

Definition of whine for Students

whined; whining

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.

—

whiner

\ˈhwī-nər, ˈwī-\ noun

whine

noun

Definition of whine for Students

:a high-pitched troubled or complaining cry or sound

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whine Synonyms

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whine

Definition of whine

whiny

Examples of whine in a Sentence

Recent Examples of whine from the Web

First Known Use of whine

whine Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

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WHINE Defined for English Language Learners

whine

Definition of whine for English Language Learners

whine

Definition of whine for English Language Learners

WHINE Defined for Kids

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