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View synonyms for

whining

[wahy-ning, hwahy-]

adjective

  1. 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.

  2. complaining in a petulant, self-pitying way.

    Those whining people who blame everyone and think everyone is against them need to grow up.

  3. 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

  1. 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?

  2. the act of making a drawn-out, high-pitched sound.

    A few hours later the whining of a chainsaw began.

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Other Word Forms

  • whiningly adverb
  • unwhining adjective
  • unwhiningly adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of whining1

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
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“She just ran around whining, like she was so confused.”

From

It attracted a torrent of whining from Trump at a White House event with the German chancellor on Thursday, followed by an afternoon of Musk tweeting furiously in response.

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His efforts to extort some kind of “peace deal” from Putin — which Trump repeatedly claimed he could accomplish in 24 hours — have descended to online pouting and whining.

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He's whining that they have bigger planes than him, so he is planning to accept a "gift" of a $400 million dollar flying palace from his good friends the Qataris.

From

While carping about "the fake news media" during the White House Easter egg roll, Hegseth's whining got so pitched his voice started to crack, while his children stood behind him, embarrassed at the spectacle.

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