complain
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault.
He complained constantly about the noise in the corridor.
- Antonyms:
- rejoice
-
to tell of one's pains, ailments, etc..
to complain of a backache.
-
to make a formal accusation.
If you think you've been swindled, complain to the police.
verb
-
to express resentment, displeasure, etc, esp habitually; grumble
-
(foll by of) to state the presence of pain, illness, etc, esp in the hope of sympathy
she complained of a headache
Related Words
Complain, grumble, growl, whine are terms for expressing dissatisfaction or discomfort. To complain is to protest against or lament a wrong: to complain about high prices. To grumble is to utter ill-natured complaints half to oneself: to grumble about the service. Growl may express more anger than grumble : to growl in reply to a question. To whine is to complain in a meanspirited way, using a nasal tone: to whine like a coward, like a spoiled child.
Other Word Forms
- complainable adjective
- complainer noun
- complainingly adverb
- uncomplained adjective
- uncomplaining adjective
- uncomplainingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of complain
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English compleinen, from Anglo-French compleign-, stem of compleindre, Old French complaindre, from Vulgar Latin complangere (unrecorded), from Latin com- com- + plangere “to beat, lament, strike”; plaint
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The SSE Arena's statement on Facebook has attracted more than 1,000 comments, with many people complaining about what they saw during the show and whether it was worth the price of a ticket.
From BBC
"People complain about prices, say they're outrageous. You can find everything, but the cost keeps rising," said Mohamed, a market vendor.
From Barron's
Kendall initially complained to the state about State Farm in July, citing delays in handling his total loss claim, dealing with multiple adjusters and struggles to get reimbursed for living expenses.
From Los Angeles Times
In earlier crossings, returnees complained of intimidation and harsh treatment by the Popular Forces, but Imran said they did not harass her when they searched belongings.
From Los Angeles Times
Broberg said it was a "concern" that people are complaining about glare, but insisted that avoiding glare was part of the design process.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
