whinge

A cry.

Noun

  1. A cry.
    • Her whinges grew even shriller and more annoying the longer we had to listen to them.
  2. A peevish complaint.
    • I know you don't like it, but your whinges won't solve the problem!

Origin

From a northern variant of Old English hwinsian (“to whine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwinisōn (“to whine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwīnan (“to whine”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”). Cognate with German winseln (“to whine, whimper”).

Forms

whinges winge quhynge

Verb

  1. To whine; to complain, especially in an annoying or persistent manner.
    • Argh! He has been whinging about it all night, even though he knows there's nothing we can do.
    • I know it won't help but sometimes it feels better to whinge about the things that annoy me.
    • "'D' ye hear what's come ower ye now,' continued the virago, 'ye whingeing Whig carles? D'ye hear wha's coming to cow yer cracks?" - 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […],...

Forms

whinges whingeing whinging whinged winge quhynge