whiny

adjective

ˈ(h)wī-nē 

variants or less commonly whiney

whinier; whiniest

: characterized by whining:

a

: having a high-pitched, shrill or plaintive quality

a whiny voice

"So What'cha Want," despite its jittery organ, whiny guitar, and distorted vocals, turned out to be one of the least predictable-sounding hit singles of recent years.

—Alan Light

b

: characterized by or given to complaining

whiny children

Their whiny, even beggarly tone was hardly the supremely confident sound of the American Century.

—Sidney Blumenthal

… offering little more than a whiny list of grievances …

—Linda Chavez

In this conversational memoir, Nancy comes across as honest, if a little whiny, and a major-league worrier.

—Ilene Cooper

whininess noun

A few years ago, thirtysomething was widely reviled for encouraging the yuppie ethos of materialism and whininess.

—Mark Harris

… I heard something, a certain whininess in his voice, maybe, that led me to conclude that I wasn't about to get a pasting …

—Nick Hornby

Examples of whiny in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of having the nerve to just say it, BSU put out vague, whiny press releases, apparently trying to minimize outrage on both sides. —Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 10 Jan. 2025

Democrats, who tend to be whiny mopes, have never been more energized. —airmail.news, 17 Aug. 2024

All hotels are near a ski lift, sparing you the dreaded shuttle bus wait with whiny kids in tow or the hassle of lugging skis—and at least one child—through town. —Katharina Kotrba, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

This woman we’ve been told is an extremely capable lawyer simply melts down and begs Tommy for his help, and then is shocked and whiny when Tommy kills the snake to protect her from it. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined above