Pronunciation: /waɪn/

Definitions of whine

noun a long, high-pitched complaining cry or sound

Example Sentences

A1 The baby's constant whine kept the parents up all night.

A2 She let out a whine of frustration when she couldn't find her keys.

B1 The dog's whine indicated that it wanted to go outside.

B2 I could hear the whine of the engine as the car approached.

C1 Her constant whine about the office environment was starting to annoy her coworkers.

C2 The whine of the violin filled the concert hall with emotion.

verb to complain in a feeble or petulant way

Example Sentences

A1 The child whines when he doesn't get his way.

A2 She always whines about having to do homework.

B1 The customer began to whine about the long wait for service.

B2 I can't stand it when people whine instead of taking action.

C1 He tends to whine when things don't go his way, which can be annoying.

C2 Despite his success, he still finds things to whine about.

Examples of whine in a Sentence

formal The child continued to whine about not getting a second dessert.

informal Stop whining about having to do your chores.

slang Why are you always whining about everything?

figurative The wind whined through the trees on the stormy night.

Grammatical Forms of whine

past tense

whined

plural

whines

comparative

whinier

superlative

whiniest

present tense

whine

future tense

will whine

perfect tense

have whined

continuous tense

is whining

singular

whine

positive degree

whine

infinitive

to whine

gerund

whining

participle

whined

Origin and Evolution of whine

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'whine' originated from the Old English word 'hwīnan' which meant to make a humming or whizzing sound.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'whine' evolved to also mean to complain or express dissatisfaction in a high-pitched voice, in addition to its original sound-related meaning.