Dictionary

whiny en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• wīnʹi
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈwaɪni/

Etymology

Etymology tree English whine Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English whiny From whine + -y.

Meanings

1. Whining; tending to whine or complain.
   • But everyone else seems to have phoned in the film, including Mr. Grodin at his whiniest and Arthur Hiller, the veteran director of films as funny as The In-Laws and as unspeakable as Love Story. 1990 August 17, Caryn James, “Review/Film; An Adman, His Filofax And a Thief”, in The New York Times:
   • She is very whiny; she keeps complaining about trivial things.
   • It takes nerve for a singer to dig out a whiny teenage lament from the early days of rock 'n' roll and transform it into a sexy, slow-burning torch song for adults. 2000 January 24, Stephen Holden, “MUSIC IN REVIEW: CABARET; Turning 1960's Innocence Into 90's Toughness”, in The New York Times:
   • Mrs. Strakosh is played with a whinier accent than Mrs. Brice. 1981 October 5, Haskel Frankel, “ROSALIND HARRIS IN 'FUNNY GIRL'”, in The New York Times:
2. Having a nasally or high-pitched voice.

Forms

Deriveds

whiny-ass titty baby · whinily · whininess

Translations (14)

sv gnällig (Translations) · es cojijoso (Translations) · es quejilloso (Translations) · es quejoso (Translations) · nn grinete (Translations) · es quejumbroso (Translations) · es quejica (Translations) · gl mixiriqueiro (Translations) · crh ağlavuq (Translations) · es quejicoso (Translations) · es llorón (Translations) · es quejón (Translations) · nb grinete (Translations) · ca queixós (Translations)