whiny

adjective

ˈ(h)wī-nē 

variants or less commonly whiney

whinier; whiniest

: characterized by whining:

a

: having a high-pitched, shrill or plaintive quality

a whiny voice

"So What'cha Want," despite its jittery organ, whiny guitar, and distorted vocals, turned out to be one of the least predictable-sounding hit singles of recent years.

—Alan Light

b

: characterized by or given to complaining

whiny children

Their whiny, even beggarly tone was hardly the supremely confident sound of the American Century.

—Sidney Blumenthal

… offering little more than a whiny list of grievances …

—Linda Chavez

In this conversational memoir, Nancy comes across as honest, if a little whiny, and a major-league worrier.

—Ilene Cooper

whininess noun

A few years ago, thirtysomething was widely reviled for encouraging the yuppie ethos of materialism and whininess.

—Mark Harris

… I heard something, a certain whininess in his voice, maybe, that led me to conclude that I wasn't about to get a pasting …

—Nick Hornby

Examples of whiny in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bearing the brunt of a 100-degree day and an insufferably whiny Annette at the beach, Daisy vents to João about the kitchen’s lateness. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026

Regarding the whiny editorial about Jewel-Osco coupons, just what’s the big deal? —Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026

Yes, Dawson was whiny and moody and extremely self-centered, but so are a lot of teenagers. —Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026

Heathcliff acts like a whiny little baby throughout this film, constantly throwing tantrums, running away, and slamming doors. —Cazzie David, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for whiny

• briny
• piney
• shiny
• spiny
• tiny
• consignee
• sunshiny