whine

Everyday

1. To complain in an annoying, high, unhappy voice, often about small things. tree →
2. Of a dog or another animal: to make a long, high, sad sound. tree →
3. Of a machine: to make a long, high, steady noise, like a drill or a jet engine. tree →
4. (noun) The sound itself, or a complaint. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life parents say "Stop whining!" when children complain. In stories, a dog whines at the door to go out, and engines whine. Calling someone "a whiner" is a bit unkind. Phrases: "whine about", "stop whining", "the whine of an engine".

Examples

• Stop whining and eat your carrots. tree →
• The dog whined at the door to go out. tree →
• My brother whines whenever it's his turn to wash up. tree →
• We heard the whine of the dentist's drill. tree →
• The jet engine gave a high whine. tree →
• "It's not fair," she whined. tree →
• The puppy gave a little whine when we left. tree →
• The whine had changed to a sort of humming purr that seemed to come from every quarter of the compass. tree →

Note

Regular verb: whined, whining. Homophone trap: "whine" sounds like "wine" (a drink made from grapes); only "whine" has an h. In the USA "whine" is common for complaining; in the UK people also say "moan" or "whinge" (whinge is also used in Australia).