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

But even when playing the whiny mama’s boy or entitled fame monster, his openness is magnetic, especially at such close range in the Lortel—an ideal venue for his gifts. —Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024

His breath control is lacking, his Lin-Manuel-esque flow is whiny, and the lyrics have nothing to do with the moment. —Emma Soren, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2024

Some students concede this can sound whiny, and that they can be pushy. —Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2024

The long-term teacher can’t pretend to care about his whiny students anymore and uses a seemingly routine parent’s complaint as an excuse to get canned. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined above