whine
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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a whining utterance, sound, or tone.
-
a feeble, peevish complaint.
noun
-
a long high-pitched plaintive cry or moan
-
a continuous high-pitched sound
-
a peevish complaint, esp one repeated
verb
Related Words
See complain.
Other Word Forms
- whiner noun
- whining adjective
- whiningly adverb
Etymology
Origin of whine
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English verb whinen “to groan in pain or distress; make animal sounds, whimper, whinny, squeal,” Old English hwīnan (of an arrow) “to whiz, buzz, hum”; cognate with Old Norse hvīna, of imitative origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On hearing Grandpa say his name, Rowdy whined and his tail started fanning the air.
From Literature
It’s also an unforgiving portrait of the daughter, who is far from sympathetic as she whines, throws tantrums and makes endless demands.
From Los Angeles Times
The howl and whine of the opening few bars of “Chains of Love” conjure images of the ghostly moors, before transforming into a catchy midtempo pop number.
Up has gone a mighty whine from actors, directors and other Hollywood traditionalists against the disruptive streamer walking off with HBO, a time-honored studio and storytelling brands like Superman, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones.
“Why? It’s my last one,” she says in the brief clip, whining a bit as she stands on a ladder and struggles to clip some wires.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
