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”)).
Meanings
A long-drawn, high-pitched complaining cry or sound.
The 18-year-old [Justin] Bieber can’t quite pull off the “adult” thing just yet: His voice may have dropped a bit since the days of “Baby,” but it still mostly registers as “angelic,” and veers toward a pubescent whine at times. 2012 June 26, Genevieve Koski, “Music: Reviews: Justin Bieber: Believe”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 06 Aug 2020:
A peevish or self-pitying complaint or criticism.
Eighner, in particular, is infamous for his "what publishers and editors did to poor me" whines. 1987 April 4, T.R. Witomski, “witomski responds to readers' response to witomski (letter)”, in Gay Community News, page 6:
I need to have a quick whine about my boss before we start talking about the holiday.
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”)).
Meanings
(intransitive) To utter a high-pitched cry.
(intransitive) To make a sound resembling such a cry.
The jet engines whined at take off.
(intransitive) To complain or protest with a whine (compare whinge) or as if with a whine, i.e. in a peevish or self-pitying way.
Feel awfully about Scott... I always knew he couldn't think—he never could—but he had a marvelous talent and the thing is to use it—not whine in public. 1936 Feb. 15, Ernest Hemingway, letter to Maxwell Perkins
[S]he was one of your ſoft ſpoken, canting, whining hypocrites, who with a truly jeſuitical art, could wreſt evil out of the moſt inoffenſive thought, word, look or action; […] 1765, Catherine Jemmat, The Memoirs of Mrs. Catherine Jemmat, Daughter of the Late Admiral Yeo, of Plymouth. Written by Herself, 2nd edition, volume I, London: Printed for the author, at Charing-Cross, →OCLC, page 145:
(intransitive) To move with a whining sound.
The wind whined and moaned through the trees.
The jet whined into the air.
(transitive) To utter with the sound of a whine.
Kelly Queen was whining that the boss made him put on his tie.
ro văita (to utter a whine) · ro văita (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · cs skučet (to utter a whine) · mi uene (to utter a whine) · fr geindre (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · es gemir (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · it sibilare (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · gl choricar (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · ru прорыдать (to utter with the sound of a whine) · ta மூக்காலழு (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · pl marudzić (to utter a whine) · fr chouiner (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · sh kukati (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · mi ngānehenehe (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · mi ngengere (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · de jammern (to utter a whine) · fi vikistä (to utter a whine) · jam nenge nenge (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · ro jelui (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · fi ujeltaa (to move with a whining sound) · id merengek (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · pt ganir (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · ru выть (to utter a whine) · bg скимтя (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · de winseln (to utter a whine) · ro văieta (to utter a whine) · fa نق زدن (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · fi ujeltaa (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · da hvine (to utter a whine) · ro văieta (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · izh irissä (to utter a whine) · de heulen (to utter a whine) · id merengek (to utter a whine) · ru ~ с воем (to move with a whining sound) · ta சிணுங்கு (to utter a whine) · ru взвывать (to utter a whine) · hu vinnyog (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · de quengeln (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · id berderu (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · cs stěžovat si (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · es mañosear (to utter a whine) · es mañosear (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · sk kvíliť (to utter a whine) · fi vikistä (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · it piagnucolare (to utter a whine) · eo kritikaĉi (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · de jaulen (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · fi vinkua (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · grc μινυρίζω (to utter a whine) · nl zeuren (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · no hvine (to utter a whine) · gl ganir (to utter a whine) · ru завыть (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · fa نالیدن (to utter a whine) · ru выть (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · fr couiner (to utter a whine) · pl pomarudzić (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · bg хленча (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · es lloriquear (to utter a whine) · es llorisquear (to utter a whine) · fi vinkua (to utter a whine) · gl choromicar (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · tr inlemek (to utter a whine) · nrf braithe (to utter a whine) · hu siránkozik (to utter a whine) · ru скулить (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · de weinen (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · no syte (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · izh pikissä (to utter a whine) · it piagnucolare (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · bg вия (to utter a whine) · vi than vãn (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · vi rên rỉ (to utter a whine) · mi ngengere (to utter with the sound of a whine) · lt verkšlenti (to utter a whine) · es gimotear (to utter a whine) · es lloriquear (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · pt ganir (to utter a whine) · fi uikuttaa (to utter a whine) · no jamre (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · no sutre (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · es gimotear (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · mi kōingoingo (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · cs naříkat (si) (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · cs kňučet (to utter a whine) · grc μινυρίζω (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · pt lamuriar (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · id menderu (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · mi ngengere (to utter a whine) · no hyle (to utter a whine) · nrf houinner (to utter a whine) · gl mexericar (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · izh kitissä (to utter a whine) · fr pleurnicher (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · ru завывать (to utter a whine) · de heulen (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · ta மூக்காலழு (to utter a whine) · pl marudzić (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · cs kňourat (to utter a whine) · de jammern (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · fi kitistä (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · ro tângui (to utter a whine) · mi koroingoingo (to make a sound resembling such a cry) · gl nifrar (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · ru плакаться (to complain or protest with a whine or as if with a whine) · de jaulen (to utter a whine)