WHINE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does whine mean? 

• WHINE (noun)
  The noun WHINE has 1 sense:

1. a complaint uttered in a plaintive whining way

  Familiarity information: WHINE used as a noun is very rare.

• WHINE (verb)
  The verb WHINE has 4 senses:

1. move with a whining sound

2. talk in a tearful manner

3. make a high-pitched, screeching noise

4. complain whiningly

  Familiarity information: WHINE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHINE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A complaint uttered in a plaintive whining way

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

whimper; whine

Hypernyms ("whine" is a kind of...):

complaint (an expression of grievance or resentment)

Derivation:

whine (complain whiningly)

whine (talk in a tearful manner)

whiney; whiny (habitually complaining)

• WHINE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they whine    ... he / she / it whines   
Past simple: whined   
Past participle: whined   
-ing form: whining   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Move with a whining sound

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

The bullets were whining past us

Hypernyms (to "whine" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 2

Meaning:

Talk in a tearful manner

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

snivel; whine

Hypernyms (to "whine" is one way to...):

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Verb group:

grizzle; whine; yammer; yawp (complain whiningly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue whine

Derivation:

whine (a complaint uttered in a plaintive whining way)

whiner (a person given to excessive complaints and crying and whining)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make a high-pitched, screeching noise

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

creak; screak; screech; skreak; squeak; whine

Context example:

My car engine makes a whining noise

Hypernyms (to "whine" is one way to...):

make noise; noise; resound (emit a noise)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 4

Meaning:

Complain whiningly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

grizzle; whine; yammer; yawp

Hypernyms (to "whine" is one way to...):

complain; kick; kvetch; plain; quetch; sound off (express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness)

Verb group:

snivel; whine (talk in a tearful manner)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

whine (a complaint uttered in a plaintive whining way)

whiner (a person given to excessive complaints and crying and whining)

 Context examples 

“Oh, what do you want?” grinned this old man, in a fierce, monotonous whine.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He sprang to his feet with a whine, and then, struck by a new idea, turned his attention to Madge.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

White Fang whined as he watched the operation.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

No, no; Frederick is not a man to whine and complain; he has too much spirit for that.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

The lash bit into him again and again, but he neither whined nor struggled.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

He saw noble and beautiful visions, but he could only whine and bark at Ruth.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

As it was, the jar made her catch her breath and wonder what had happened; and Toto put his cold little nose into her face and whined dismally.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

From outside came the occasional cry of a night-bird, and once at our very window a long drawn catlike whine, which told us that the cheetah was indeed at liberty.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Wretch!” I said. “It is well that you come here to whine over the desolation that you have made.”

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Pilot pricked up his ears when I came in: then he jumped up with a yelp and a whine, and bounded towards me: he almost knocked the tray from my hands.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)