whine

verb \ ˈhwīn , ˈwīn \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Examples: whine in a Sentence

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

Given that Bill Clinton just blew himself up and this is Clinton is still whining why me, the de facto leader of the Democratic Party remains Barack Obama.

— Fox News, "Former Miss America on pageant dropping swimsuit competition," 6 June 2018
Choppy ice conditions kept causing pucks to wobble, a product of 90-degree temperatures outside (and not hot air wheezed by blowhards whining about an expansion team’s success).

— alex prewitt, SI.com, "Golden Knights, Capitals Provide Game 1 Cup Final Spectacle Fitting for Vegas," 29 May 2018
Trailing behind them is their chubby, whining classmate Edith and a math teacher, Greta McGraw.

— rachel syme, The New Republic, "Picnic at Hanging Rock," 22 May 2018
Other further-flung family members of hers seem less careful, reportedly whining to the press about being excluded from the festivities and even bad-mouthing Meghan herself.

— jill filipovic, Teen Vogue, "Meghan Markle’s Royal Wedding Is Not Your Average Disney Princess Fantasy," 19 May 2018
During a time when too many rock bands aped Nirvana’s and Pearl Jam’s styles, whining through their bad Eddie Vedder impressions to land a lucrative hit, the sound of marimba echoing under soft, breezy symphonies offered a welcome counterpoint.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Finding the Soundtrack to My Desert Life," 25 Apr. 2018
Though some gamers whined about the alterations, the changes actually boosted sales.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "The Evolution of Lara Croft From Video Game Vixen to Empowered Movie Heroine," 19 Mar. 2018
Moore never actually conceded the race to Doug Jones, instead preferring to go after Jones’s gay son (see a theme here?) and whining about a conspiracy against him, as is his way.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Roy Moore Is Pleading With Supporters to Pay His Legal Bills," 3 Mar. 2018
The other twisted and whined at the end of a leash that Contreras clutched as the gales threatened to suck the mutt away into the lightless night.

— martin kuz, San Antonio Express-News, "After the hurricane, the storm within," 9 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

whine Synonyms

Phrases

kick up a fuss;

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

Even a daydreamy young girl had a hard time locating the divine over the glare of blacktop and the whine of power tools.

— sara eckel, Longreads, "The Hole in My Soul," 1 June 2018
Perhaps one day, all the sage grouse will hear out on the lek is the quiet whine of a fembot turning its head.

— matt simon, WIRED, "Why Scientists Turned This Taxidermy Bird Into a Robot," 1 June 2018
The jangling whine of the engine turns into a steady jackhammer thwack as the drill pounds steel casings down two meters, then retrieves them, now full of soil samples.

— genesee keevil, Popular Mechanics, "The Rush: What the World's Greatest Gold Prospector Knows," 17 May 2018
Wine—don’t whine—at the zoo Kids whining at the zoo: upset about missing the tigers, in need of a nap, possibly kicking and screaming.

— adam lukach, RedEye Chicago, "5 things to do in Chicago this weekend," 27 July 2017
In the Russian capital, the whine of police sirens and the chanting crowds clashed with a nearby outdoor international music festival organized by the city, where performers sang a cappella to a small audience.

— washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Russian police detain more than 1,600 protesting against Putin," 5 May 2018
The motor protests, in a whine, throughout uphill legs.

— Washington Post, "Review: LimeBike’s new dockless scooters are a whimsical ride but not a practical one," 4 Apr. 2018
Fox News host Laura Ingraham's put down of Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg as a whiny high school kid has prompted him to mount something more potent than a whine — a call for an ad boycott.

— doug stanglin, USA TODAY, "Parkland student David Hogg answers Fox host Laura Ingraham's ridicule with an ad boycott call," 29 Mar. 2018
With the stadium being mostly privately financed the naysayers are going to have something else to whine and bellyache about.

— john canzano, OregonLive.com, "Canzano: Portland Diamond Project with strong liftoff for MLB to PDX," 17 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of whine

1633

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

whine Synonyms

Synonyms

beef, bleat, carp, complaint, fuss, grievance, gripe, grouch, grouse, grumble, holler, lament, moan, murmur, plaint, squawk, wail, whimper, yammer;

Near Antonyms

commendation, compliment, plaudit;

acclaim, applause, praise;

approval, endorsement (also indorsement), sanction;

WHINE Defined for English Language Learners

whine

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

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

Definition of whine

whiner

whiningly

Examples of whine in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of whine

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

Near Antonyms

Related Words

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

whine

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whine

Definition of whine for Students

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