complain
Americanverb (used without object)
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to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault.
He complained constantly about the noise in the corridor.
- Antonyms:
- rejoice
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to tell of one's pains, ailments, etc..
to complain of a backache.
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to make a formal accusation.
If you think you've been swindled, complain to the police.
verb
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to express resentment, displeasure, etc, esp habitually; grumble
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(foll by of) to state the presence of pain, illness, etc, esp in the hope of sympathy
she complained of a headache
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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complainableadjective
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complaininglyadverb
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uncomplainedadjective
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uncomplaininglyadverb
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complainernoun
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uncomplainingadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have complainedperfect
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has complainedperfect 3rd person singular
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am complainingprogressive 1st person singular
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is complainingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been complainingperfect progressive
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are complainingprogressive
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complainssingular 3rd person
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has been complainingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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complainingparticiple
Past
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had complainedperfect
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were complainingprogressive plural
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complainedsimple
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was complainingprogressive singular
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had been complainingperfect progressive
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complainedparticiple
Future
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”; see plaint
Explanation
To complain is to express your unhappiness about something. You might complain to your landlord about a raise in your rent, or to the cops about your noisy neighbors. Just don't whine; it won't get you anywhere. Speakers of Yiddish will know that complain is often interchangeable with kvetch, which is what you do when you don't like the food or the small portions. But you can complain in a more formal way by, say, writing a letter or even filing a lawsuit. But whether the issue is large or small, do yourself a favor and don't complain too often, or people might stop taking you seriously.
Vocabulary lists containing complain
"The Railway Train" by Emily Dickinson
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Shiloh
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Sarah, Plain and Tall
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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.
Damodaran also took a shot at those who complain about the stretched valuation metrics.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
In 2016, near the height of her pop fame, her husband began to complain she was charging too much on the credit card account.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Motorists complain that potholes and loose gravel from old roadtops cause crashes or flat tires.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
"Ex footballers will all be saying handball and no one would complain about it."
From BBC • May 17, 2026
“We’re out of ideas,” I complain to Micah.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
