Definition

Verb: - To whine or snivel persistently: Describes the continuous, nasal, and complaining sound, often made by a child who is sick, fussy, or constantly demanding attention. It implies a grating, irritating quality to the sound.

Usage Examples

• (The sick little boy snivelled/whined all day long.)
• (The hungry child started to whine.)
• (Stop whining, mom is busy.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is almost exclusively used to describe the vocalizations of children or, by extension, someone behaving in a childish, complaining manner. It carries a negative connotation of being bothersome.

Variants and Related Words

• Rên rỉ (v): To moan or groan (often from pain or discomfort, less specifically childish than "rèo rẹo").
• Lèo nhèo (v): To pester or nag persistently (focuses more on the act of pestering than the specific sound).

Synonyms

• Whine: To complain in a feeble or petulant way.
• Snivel: To cry and sniff in a whining manner.
• Fuss: To show unnecessary or excessive concern, often with complaining.

Related Idioms

• While "rèo rẹo" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, the behavior it describes is central to expressions like:
  • Khóc lóc rèo rẹo: To cry and whine noisily.
  • Nó không được cái kẹo liền khóc lóc rèo rẹo. (He didn't get the candy and immediately started crying and whining.)

1. Snivel constantly
   • Thằng bé ốm rèo rẹo suốt ngày
     The ailing little boy snivelled all day long