as in moan
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
the perennial whine that movies aren't as good as they used to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
for the whole of our vacation, the kids whined on and on about the weather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whine
Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
Deciphering the vocalizations involves both sound and context, as a dog’s bark or whine may be tied to its situation, Zhu said.
—Miriam Fauzia, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
McGraw has been doing the work Close arguably couldn’t for weeks without coming across as whining.
—Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whine
Noun
These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
Deciphering the vocalizations involves both sound and context, as a dog’s bark or whine may be tied to its situation, Zhu said.
—Miriam Fauzia, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
Part of it is [capturing] the color of light in the morning or the sound of drones whining in the air.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
McGraw has been doing the work Close arguably couldn’t for weeks without coming across as whining.
—Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whine
Noun
-
Where my world was hemmed in by ridgelines and holler roads, Mary Lennox’s world was hemmed in by fog and wind and the low moan of a manor house that seemed to breathe on its own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Under Hiller, the Kings went into the Olympic break with a whimper and came out of it with a moan.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For years, critics of San Diego’s and California’s approaches have complained that millions and billions, respectively, have been spent to reduce homelessness, yet things just kept getting worse.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
According to state records, the Board of Pharmacy had referred the matter to the Board of Medicine after a patient of Hartsuch’s complained that his pharmacist refused to fill the physician’s prescription for ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 13 years, not a single ethics complaint by any staff in his office or any other office has ever been lodged.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Demuth now has seven days to refer both the complaints to the House Ethics Committee for consideration and hearings will be scheduled to discuss each filing.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kaley denied being abused or neglected, though Meta’s attorneys did show some Instagram posts about her mother screaming at her.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In a sea of gray-toned suits and uniforms, the woman trying to soothe her crying baby comes across as an outlier even before a belligerent young salaryman starts screaming at her for disturbing the peace.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The sinew between Thundercat and Tame Impala is thick and obvious—one reason that Bruner doesn’t need ubiquitous Kevin Parker’s lethargic laments.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Though marking Jesus’ painful death, Good Friday ultimately points to Easter resurrection—transforming the day from lament to joy for believers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One is beautiful and famous the world over; the other is even more beautiful yet content not to have to put up with all the fuss and attention.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But the first phase of curbside construction isn’t expected to cause much fuss for drivers.—
Megan Rodriguez,
San Antonio Express-News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The union filed at least seven unfair labor practice charges against JBS, including for firing a member of the bargaining committee, punishing a worker for filing a grievance against management and making changes to working conditions without giving the union notice.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Our politics is marked by grievance in both parties.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In this context, the Atlas II arrived with a whimper rather than a crash.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
-
At the hospital in Dollow, mothers sat shoulder to shoulder on narrow beds holding frail children, some too weak to cry while others let out soft whimpers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whine. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
