From a northern variant of Old English hwinsian (“to whine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwinisōn (“to whine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwīnan (“to whine”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”). Cognate with German winseln (“to whine, whimper”).
Meanings
(Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK) A cry.
Her whinges grew even shriller and more annoying the longer we had to listen to them.
“Before he was a twel’month ould he had a mouth full o’ great teeth; his hands wor like ’s claws, and his legs wor no thicker nor the handle of a whip, and about as straight as a rapin’ hook; to make the matther worse, he had the gut uv a cormorant, and the whinge, and the yelp, and the screech, and the yowl, was never out of his mouth.” 1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 522:
(Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK) A peevish complaint.
I know you don't like it, but your whinges won't solve the problem!
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
whinges
Number=Plur
lexicographic
quhynge
alternative
lexicographic
winge
alternative
lexicographic
Translations (20)
hi कराहना (to complain or protest) · ru хны́кать (to complain or protest) · hu nyavalyog (to complain or protest) · de plärren (to complain or protest) · ja 泣き事を言う (to complain or protest) · nl mopperen (to complain or protest) · el παραπονιέμαι (to complain or protest) · ru пла́каться (to complain or protest) · sv klaga (to complain or protest) · fi inistä (to complain or protest) · nl zeuren (to complain or protest) · de jammern (to complain or protest) · fi kitistä (to complain or protest) · fi narista (to complain or protest) · de meckern (to complain or protest) · nl zagen (to complain or protest) · ru скули́ть (to complain or protest) · ja 泣き事 (to complain or protest) · el παραπονούμαι (to complain or protest) · sv gnälla (to complain or protest)
From a northern variant of Old English hwinsian (“to whine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwinisōn (“to whine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwīnan (“to whine”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”). Cognate with German winseln (“to whine, whimper”).
Meanings
(Commonwealth, Ireland, UK) To whine; to complain, especially in an annoying or persistent manner.
You crossed her last wish in death and yet you sulk with me because I don’t whinge like some hired mute from Lalouette’s. 1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 1]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC:
"'D' ye hear what's come ower ye now,' continued the virago, 'ye whingeing Whig carles? D'ye hear wha's coming to cow yer cracks?" 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:
You feel bad about whingeing about your own lack of activation on an emotional, psychosexual level because the whole world is telling you: you’ve gotta just survive this horror. 2026 July 3, Catherine Shoard, quoting Edward Norton, “‘I feel both thrilled and ruined by this’: Olivia Wilde and Edward Norton on making sex comedy The Invite”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
Mostly, they were wingeing about the lousy cook and the same thing served too often 1992, Sky Phillips, Secret mission to Melbourne, November, 1941, page 45:
Argh! He has been whinging about it all night, even though he knows there's nothing we can do.
“I try to write something that is amusing,” says [Kate] Spicer. “So much of the stuff written about sex is just whingeing, the I'm-not-getting-enough-orgasms kind of thing. It makes women sound as though they can't have fun in bed.” 1995 October 1, Nick Walker, quoting Kate Spicer, “Women and Men: All mouth and no trousers”, in The Independent:
"I'm miserable," Sam proclaimed, plodding behind with his shoelace flapping. "Nobody ever gives me butter-pies when I need them." / "Shut up," said Jonathan. "Stop wingeing." 2002, Diana Wynne Jones, A Tale of Time City, page 41:
I know it won't help but sometimes it feels better to whinge about the things that annoy me.
His wife will winge her bloody head off, but Nev will come good. 1993, Michael Fisher, The Nightmare Man, page 169:
"You know the problem these days with young people? Get them to carry a 500-pound bomb and within 30 seconds they're making noises," he says, imitating a whingeing sound. 2012 December 1, John Lyons, “Action stations as sea giants stay vigilant on the frontline”, in The Australian: