whinny

American

[hwin-ee, win-ee] / ˈʰwɪn i, ˈwɪn i /

verb (used without object)

whinnied, whinnying

to utter the characteristic cry of a horse; neigh.

verb (used with object)

whinnied, whinnying

to express by whinnying.

noun

plural

whinnies

a whinnying sound.

whinny British

/ ˈwɪnɪ /

verb

(of a horse) to neigh softly or gently
to make a sound resembling a neigh, such as a laugh

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

a gentle or low-pitched neigh

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of whinny

1520–30; imitative; compare earlier whrinny, Latin hinnīre

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.

A horse's whinny may sound like a single call, but it is actually a blend of both high and low frequencies.

From Science Daily

Then there was a wild whinnying cry, and a huge green horse covered in shining scales thundered straight toward him.

From Literature

Dodger shook his head at Akira and whinnied, happy to see her but still afraid.

From Literature

The sound of a horse’s shrill whinny on the street below drifted in through an open window, but no breeze.

From Literature

Seeing him paw the ground and whinny only served to emphasize how leggy and coltish he had become.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023