Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Whine
Whine
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Whined
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Whining
.] [OE. ]
whinen
, AS. hwīnan
to make a whistling, whizzing sound; akin to Icel. hvīna
, Sw. hvina
, Dan. hvine
, and probably to G. wiehern
to neigh, OHG. wihōn
, hweijōn
; perhaps of imitative origin. Cf. Whinny
, Verb.
I.
To utter a plaintive cry, as some animals; to moan with a childish noise; to complain, or to tell of sorrow, distress, or the like, in a plaintive, nasal tone; hence, to complain or to beg in a mean, unmanly way; to moan basely.
“Whining plovers.” Spenser.
The hounds were . . . staying their coming, but with a
whining
accent, craving liberty. Sir P. Sidney.
Dost thou come here to
whine
? Shakespeare
Whine
,Verb.
T.
To utter or express plaintively, or in a mean, unmanly way;
as, to
. whine
out an excuseWhine
,Noun.
A plaintive tone; the nasal, childish tone of mean complaint; mean or affected complaint.
Webster 1828 Edition
Whine
WHINE
,Verb.
T.
They came--with a whining accent craving liberty.
Then, if we whine, look pale--
WHINE
,Noun.
Definition 2024
whine
whine
English
Noun
whine (plural whines)
- a long-drawn, high-pitched complaining cry or sound
- 2012 June 26, Genevieve Koski, “Music: Reviews: Justin Bieber: Believe”, in The Onion AV Club:
- The 18-year-old Bieber can’t quite pull off the “adult” thing just yet: His voice may have dropped a bit since the days of “Baby,” but it still mostly registers as “angelic,” and veers toward a pubescent whine at times.
-
- a complaint or criticism
Translations
a long-drawn, high-pitched complaining cry or sound
Verb
whine (third-person singular simple present whines, present participle whining, simple past and past participle whined)
- (intransitive) To utter a high-pitched cry.
- (intransitive) To make a sound resembling such a cry.
- The jet engines whined at take off.
- (intransitive) To complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine.
- (intransitive) To move with a whining sound.
- The jet whined into the air.
- (transitive) To utter with the sound of a whine.
- The child whined all his complaints.
- Kelly Queen was whining that the boss made him put on his tie.
Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:complain
Translations
to utter a whine
to make a sound resembling such a cry
to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine