Meaning & use
whiny person
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Meaning
phrasecountableinformaldisapproving
Someone who often complains in an annoying, high-pitched way about small problems.
Grammar: Used as a countable noun phrase: a whiny person, two whiny people.
Patterns
- a whiny person about something
- act like a whiny person
My little brother turns into a whiny person whenever he has to do chores.
She's not usually a whiny person, but the long delay made her irritable.
Nobody wants to sit next to a whiny person on a long flight.
Word forms
| plural | whiny people |
|---|
Common combinations
- a real whiny person
- He becomes a real whiny person when he's tired.
- sound like a whiny person
- Stop complaining; you sound like a whiny person.
- whiny voice
- She answered in a whiny voice that annoyed everyone.
- whiny complaint
- His whiny complaint about the food was unnecessary.
Synonyms and how they differ
- complainer
- A complainer complains often, but the word does not suggest the annoying, high-pitched tone that whiny does.
- moaner
- Moaner is British informal and focuses on constant grumbling; whiny person also suggests a childish, irritating sound.
- crybaby
- Crybaby is a stronger, more insulting word for someone who cries or complains easily, often used of children.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: whiny person or winy?
whiny person vs winy
Winy means tasting or smelling like wine; whiny means complaining. They sound similar but have completely different meanings.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'whiny person' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Whiny person' describes someone who complains annoyingly, so option A fits. Option B confuses whiny with winy (wine-like), and C and D describe behavior that does not match the meaning of whiny.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “whiny person”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.