whine

Meaning

Noun

1. A long-drawn, high-pitched complaining cry or sound.
2. A complaint or criticism.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To utter a high-pitched cry.
2. (intransitive) To make a sound resembling such a cry.
3. (intransitive) To complain or protest with a whine (compare whinge) or as if with a whine.
4. (intransitive) To move with a whining sound.
5. (transitive) To utter with the sound of a whine.

Synonyms

whimper

complain

snivel

groan

howl

moan

gripe

wail

grizzle

cry

😢

grouse

grumble

yawp

bleat

lament

grouch

sing

screech

screak

yammer

whinge

skreak

bay

kvetch

beef

weep

bellyache

bitch

blubber

capitulate

carp

creak

fuss

murmur

nag

niggle

plaint

quibble

shout

sniffle

sob

😭

sound

🔉

squeak

to

whining

whistle

yelp

yip

yowl

pule

Translations

jammern

heulen

gimotear

mugolare

zeuren

lloriquear

pleurnicher

geindre

gémir

wimmern

piagnucolare

winseln

jaulen

βογγητό

huilen

😢

Pronounced as (IPA)

/waɪn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: whynen

Inherited from Old English: hwīnan

Cognate with Old Norse: hvína

Cognate with Icelandic: hvína

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: kvina

Cognate with Swedish: vina

Cognate with Danish: hvine

In summary

From Middle English whynen, hwinen, whinen, from Old English hwīnan (“to rush, to whizz, to squeal, to whine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwīnan, from Proto-Germanic *hwīnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”). Cognate with Old Norse hvína, whence Icelandic hvína, Norwegian Nynorsk kvina, Swedish vina, and Danish hvine. Despite the strong similarity in sound and meaning, not related with German weinen, Dutch wenen, from Proto-Germanic *wainōną (for which see dialectal English ween (“to weep, lament”)).