ENGLISH
REFERENCE

whining

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhwaɪnɪŋ// UK //wˈaɪnɪŋ// whin·ing

n. the act of complaining in an annoying, high-pitched voice. You use this to describe someone who is being childish about a problem.

n. the act of making a high-pitched, complaining cry or sound; persistent, petulant complaining. Often used to describe the vocal quality of children or the sound of machinery under stress.


SIMPLE

I am tired of hearing your constant whining about the weather.

CONTEXTUAL

The toddler's whining escalated into a full tantrum when he was told it was time to leave the park.

COMPLEX

The high-pitched whining of the jet engine indicated a mechanical failure that required the pilot to make an immediate emergency landing.

Synonyms
Usage

Often functions as a gerund; frequently paired with the verbs 'stop' or 'quit'.

Pitfall

Stop to whiningStop whiningWhen 'stop' means to cease an activity, it must be followed by the -ing form, not the infinitive.

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