whine about (someone or something)
To complain about someone or something in an irritating, childish, or peevish way. Stop whining about being bored, or I swear I will turn this car around and drive straight home! Timmy whined about his coworkers for the entire evening.
whine out
1. To utter some complaint in an irritating, peevish voice. A noun or pronoun can be used between "whine" and "out." The students all started whining out protests when I assigned them the essay. Maybe if you didn't whine your complaints out so churlishly, I'd actually take the time to consider them.
2. To emit some noise in a long, high-pitched manner. Can be used with or without a direct object. I could hear the dentist's drill whining out from the other side of the door, and it filled me with such fear and anxiety that I nearly ran out of the office. The old car whined out a feeble honk when I pressed on the horn.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
whine about someone or something
to whimper or complain about someone or something. Please don't whine about Sally. She is sorry she couldn't come to your party, but it's not the end of the world. The dog is whining about its hurt paw.
whine something out
to say something in a whine; to say something, using a whine for a voice. She whined her complaint out so everyone could hear it. Jake whined out his usual complaints.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.