WHINES Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

whines 1 of 2

noun

plural of whine

as in moans

an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment the perennial whine that movies aren't as good as they used to be

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whines

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of whine

as in complains

to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely for the whole of our vacation, the kids whined on and on about the weather

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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 whines

Verb

The snippet ends just as the cat whines and tucks its head beneath the barrier, not far from the officer filming the scene. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026 Jessie whines about the good old days all the time — how fun is that? — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 Aronimink put the world’s best golfers in a vice this week and squeezed the whines right out of them. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 May 2026 The caterer’s dead daughter, Marketa, is sung by Vilma Jää, an ethno-pop performer whose forays into Finnish folk techniques have her slinging her voice up into thrillingly high engine-whines. — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whines

Noun

In the decades after his death, Johnson’s loose playing and harrowing moans set American music on a path that would encompass Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, even Nas.

— Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
Sweet tweets, soft moans, the distant caw of a shore bird piloting toward the sea, spirited and hopeful, daylight already breaking through.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Definition of moans

Verb

Adrian complains that McElwee, instead of making documentaries, should have followed the lucrative path of a Hollywood director, and even reproaches him for having turned down an offer to make a TV commercial.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
If he had been forced to stick with readily available materials, Rashid complains, the deck behind the house would have been green or brown.

— Dean Kaufman, Curbed, 30 June 2026

Definition of complains

Noun

The aftermath of the fire has been litigious, with tenants accusing companies of not maintaining safety systems, ignoring complaints about fireworks and failing to secure the property after the fire.

— Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 24 July 2026
Beretti and Cantone filed complaints with the Florida Department of Health, which, emails show, has begun investigating Guarino.

— Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026

Definition of complaints

Verb

Another resident spoke of downloading a smartphone app to track decibel levels throughout the day, intending to document the noise of the coaster screams and report any violations.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
Pink grapefruit and blood orange accompany tangerine in creating a citrus-forward scent that just screams summertime fun.

— Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 23 July 2026

Definition of screams

Noun

Warnings, laments, and odes to renewal were expressed pictorially as dying days under bleeding heavens, belching volcanoes, proud icebergs, lavish rainbows amid spangling, mist-suffusing sunlight and dawns of peace and hope.

— Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
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

Definition of laments

Noun

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
Earlier this month, a Gardena police officer responded to a report that there were whimpers and cries coming from a self-compacting trash can outside a church.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026

Definition of whimpers

Noun

Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the right to petition government to address grievances.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Prime-time addresses that spew grievances and obvious falsehoods may drive voters even further away from the GOP.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026

Definition of grievances

Noun

Later, another character in Dickensian period garb began asking him about fair wages, which drew only grumbles from Scrooge.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 23 July 2026
His 2025 tape, WOMB, embodied this through his pensive grumbles over wispy vocal chops; each bar that cut through the fog was steeped in sober gravitas.

— Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026

Definition of grumbles

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“Whines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whines. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of whines

noun

verb

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