whining

American

[wahy-ning, hwahy-] / ˈwaɪ nɪŋ, ˈʰwaɪ- /

adjective

uttering a nasal, complaining cry, as from peevishness, discontent, uneasiness, etc..

If there’s one sound that makes me want to tear my ears off, it’s the sound of a whining tomcat.
Our daughter has grown from a whining child on the first day of playgroup to one who asks to go even on Saturdays.
complaining in a petulant, self-pitying way.

Those whining people who blame everyone and think everyone is against them need to grow up.
making or being a drawn-out, high-pitched sound.

In courtship, the male of the white-eyed vireo displays to the female by fluffing its plumage, spreading its tail, and uttering a whining call.

noun

the act or habit of crying or complaining in a peevish way.

Can I give you a bit more work today if I have to, and not get any whining from you?
the act of making a drawn-out, high-pitched sound.

A few hours later the whining of a chainsaw began.

Other Word Forms

unwhining adjective
unwhiningly adverb
whiningly adverb

Etymology

Origin of whining

First recorded in 1400–50; whin(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; whin(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

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.

“Yep. And Berrycloth giggles like a schoolgirl. It’s fine by me. At least he’s stopped whining about his car being demolished or his hat going missing.”

From Literature

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick accused Carney of “an arrogant kind of thought,” and likened the prime minister’s speech to whining and complaining.

From The Wall Street Journal

That said, my siblings and I got tired of the whining and agreed that she would only have to pay the lesser of $3 million or the appraised price of the house.

From MarketWatch

That was her way of saying she’d heard enough of my whining.

From Literature

“But you just had me put it back in the truck,” I say, fake whining.

From Literature

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