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Definition of whine verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

whine

verb
 
/waɪn/
 
/waɪn/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they whine
 
/waɪn/
 
/waɪn/
he / she / it whines
 
/waɪnz/
 
/waɪnz/
past simple whined
 
/waɪnd/
 
/waɪnd/
past participle whined
 
/waɪnd/
 
/waɪnd/
-ing form whining
 
/ˈwaɪnɪŋ/
 
/ˈwaɪnɪŋ/
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  1. [intransitive, transitive] to complain in an annoying, crying voice
    • Stop whining!
    • + speech ‘I want to go home,’ whined Toby.
    • whine that… She whined that she'd been cheated.
    Homophones whine | winewhine   wine
     
    /waɪn/
     
    /waɪn/
    • whine verb
      • Don't whine—I'm doing everything I can to help you.
    • whine noun
      • The dog let out a long whine.
    • wine noun
      • Would you prefer beer, wine or a soft drink?
    Synonyms complaincomplainprotest object grumble moan whineThese words all mean to say that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied about somebody/​something.complain to say that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied about somebody/​something:
    • I’m going to complain to the manager about this.
    protest to say or do something to show that you disagree with something or think it is bad, especially publicly; to give something as a reason for protesting:
    • Students took to the streets to protest against the decision.
    object to say that you disagree with something or think it is bad; to give something as a reason for objecting:
    • If nobody objects, we’ll postpone the meeting till next week.
    • He objected that the police had arrested him without sufficient evidence.
    grumble (rather informal, disapproving) to complain about somebody/​something, especially something that is not really very serious:
    • They kept grumbling that they were cold.
    moan (British English, rather informal, disapproving) to complain about somebody/​something in an annoying way:
    • What are you moaning about now?
    whine (rather informal, disapproving) to complain in an annoying, crying voice:
    • Stop whining!
    • ‘I want to go home,’ whined Toby.
    Whine is often used to talk about the way that young children complain.
    Patterns
    • to complain/​protest/​grumble/​moan/​whine about something
    • to complain/​protest/​grumble/​moan at something
    • to complain/​protest/​object/​grumble/​moan/​whine to somebody
    • to complain/​protest/​object/​grumble/​moan/​whine that…
    Topics Personal qualitiesc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • softly
    • loudly
    • away
    See full entry
  2. [intransitive] to make a long, high, unpleasant sound because you are in pain or unhappy
    • The dog whined and scratched at the door.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • softly
    • loudly
    • away
    See full entry
  3. [intransitive] (of a machine) to make a long, high, unpleasant sound
    • The engines whined softly in the background.
    • Inside, the air-conditioning whined in an annoying way.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • softly
    • loudly
    • away
    See full entry
  4. Word OriginOld English hwīnan ‘whistle through the air’, related to whinge. The noun dates from the mid 17th cent.
See whine in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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