whinge

verb

\ ˈhwinj

, ˈwinj\

whinged; whinging or whingeing

Definition of whinge

intransitive verb

British

: to complain fretfully : whine

Other Words from whinge Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about whinge

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Did You Know?

Whinge isn't just a spelling variant of "whine." "Whinge" and "whine" are actually entirely different words with separate histories. "Whine" traces to an Old English verb, "hwinan," which means "to make a humming or whirring sound." When "hwinan" became "whinen" in Middle English, it meant "to wail distressfully"; "whine" didn't acquire its "complain" sense until the 16th century. "Whinge," on the other hand, comes from a different Old English verb, "hwinsian," which means "to wail or moan discontentedly." "Whinge" retains that original sense today, though nowadays it puts less emphasis on the sound of the complaining and more on the discontentment behind the complaint.

Examples of whinge in a Sentence

Quit whinging and get on with the job. People were whinging about the lack of service.

Recent Examples on the Web

Toddlers scream, children whinge and teenagers complain. — Emma Baty, Redbook, "This Woman's Viral Post About Being a "Bad Mom" Is So Relatable," 23 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whinge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.