Standard Lemma guide

whiner

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: W AY1 N ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: HH W AY1 N ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who whines about perceived problems; a complainer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory

Examples

  • I never realized that he was such a whiner, but he complained steadily about various minor discomforts for the entire road trip.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a person given to excessive complaints and crying and whining

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: complainer, moaner, sniveller, crybaby, bellyacher, grumbler, squawker

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unpleasant person, disagreeable person

Narrower terms: kvetch

History

Etymology

From whine + -er.