complain

[ kuhm-pleyn ]

See synonyms for: complain complained complaining complainer on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault: He complained constantly about the noise in the corridor.
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.

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

synonym study For complain

1. 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.

Opposites for complain

rejoice

See antonyms for complain on Thesaurus.com

Other words from complain

com·plain·a·ble, adjective
com·plain·er, noun
com·plain·ing·ly, adverb
un·com·plained, adjective
un·com·plain·ing, adjective
un·com·plain·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use complain in a sentence

The government agencies charged with enforcing labor laws don’t investigate because nobody is complaining.
The Stolen Childhood of Teenage Factory Workers | by Melissa Sanchez | November 20, 2020 | ProPublica
She messaged a friend to ask whether any of her classmates had complained.
Virginia chemistry teacher asked students to insert ‘neon . . . neck’ to describe how George Floyd died | Hannah Natanson | November 19, 2020 | Washington Post
If nobody complains, there is rarely proactive investigation or enforcement.
Inside the Lives of Immigrant Teens Working Dangerous Night Shifts in Suburban Factories | by Melissa Sanchez | November 19, 2020 | ProPublica
In January, several women came forward as a group to complain about his behavior.
University of Michigan reaches settlement with women who reported sexual harassment by former provost | Susan Svrluga | November 18, 2020 | Washington Post
Rattled by the letter, Rhine complained to Jung, who tried to track down the critical piece but found no evidence of its existence.
The Synchronicity of Wolfgang Pauli and Carl Jung - Issue 93: Forerunners | Paul Halpern | November 18, 2020 | Nautilus

They constantly break the fourth wall, yelling and complaining to the cameramen.
James Franco and Seth Rogen Get ‘Naked and Afraid’… And It’s Hilarious | Marlow Stern | December 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
People in the comments section were complaining about the length of one of these essays that ran in The New Yorker.
Meghan Daum On Tackling The Unspeakable Parts Of Life | David Yaffe | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Jazz lovers who had taken exception to the previous bashing were told to lighten up, and stop complaining.
What’s With This Uncool Surge in Jazz Bashing? | Ted Gioia | November 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“I got a call earlier with a resident complaining that one of the news copters was flying too low,” he said.
Dallas: A Journal of the Plague City | Pete Freedman | October 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Citizens of the Golden State love complaining about undocumented immigrants, but the state would collapse without them.
Careful What You Wish For: Here’s What California Would Look Like Without Illegal Immigrants | Ruben Navarrette Jr. | September 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Neither was it used as a means of help for the infantry, who go complaining through the streets.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624 | Various
When the family returned from the court house, Orlean had retired at once, complaining of a headache.
The Homesteader | Oscar Micheaux
Those we have been examining, complaining about, and moralising over, all our life time.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States | Martin R. Delany
Mr. Worthington could not take the resigned view of their circumstances that his wife took, but often gave way to complaining.
The value of a praying mother | Isabel C. Byrum
He wrote to his friends in England imploring, remonstrating, complaining of their lamentable want of public spirit.
The History of England from the Accession of James II. | Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for complain

complain

/ (kəmˈpleɪn) /

verb(intr)

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

Origin of complain

C14: from Old French complaindre, from Vulgar Latin complangere (unattested), from Latin com- (intensive) + plangere to bewail

Derived forms of complain

complainer, noun
complainingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with complain

complain

see can't complain.

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