whiny

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whine

(wīn, hwīn)

v. whined, whin·ing, whines

v.intr.

1. To produce a sustained, high-pitched, plaintive sound, as in pain, fear, or complaint.

2. To complain or protest in a childish or annoying fashion: fans who are always whining about the poor officiating.

3. To produce a sustained noise of high pitch: jet engines whining.

v.tr.

To utter with a whine.

1. The act of whining: the dog's whine for food.

2. A whining sound: the whine of the dentist's drill.

3. A complaint uttered in a sustained, high-pitched tone: decided to ignore the children's whines.

[Middle English whinen, from Old English hwīnan, to make a whizzing sound.]

whin′er n.

whin′ing·ly adv.

whin′y, whin′ey adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

whiny

(ˈwaɪnɪ)

adj, whinier or whiniest

1. high-pitched and plaintive

2. peevish; complaining

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

whin•y

or whin•ey

(ˈʰwaɪ ni, ˈwaɪ-)

adj. whin•i•er, whin•i•est.

complaining; cranky.

[1850–55]

whin′i•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.

whiny - habitually complaining; "a whiny child"

querulous, whiney, fretful

complaining, complaintive - expressing pain or dissatisfaction of resentment; "a complaining boss"

Translations

bougon

whiny

whiney [ˈ^hwaɪni] adj → geignard(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

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