complain
Americanverb (used without object)
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complains,
present (3rd person singular)
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complained,
past participle, past
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complaining
present participle
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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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complainernoun
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complainableadjective
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uncomplainedadjective
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uncomplainingadjective
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complaininglyadverb
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uncomplaininglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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complainsimple
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complainssimple
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have complainedperfect
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has complainedperfect
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am complainingprogressive
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are complainingprogressive
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is complainingprogressive
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have been complainingperfect progressive
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has been complainingperfect progressive
Past
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complainedsimple
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had complainedperfect
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was complainingprogressive
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were complainingprogressive
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had been complainingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Katz later said she replied-all in part because D2 had no human-resources division to complain to.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
In his third term he has overseen a drop in inflation and unemployment, but voters complain about a high cost of living and are fed up with crime.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Some ticket holders took to social media to complain about the disruption.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The former sheriff said he keeps up with the department he once ran, and that deputies frequently complain to him about understaffing and low morale.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“There are already too many,” I complain, glancing ahead and behind us.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
"I come to Union Street to take a bus somewhere else... there's nothing to shop for now… it's horrendous," complains Marie Sim, a lifelong Aberdeen resident.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
She is in her late 70s and complains of nagging aches and pains, neuropathy, fatigue, anxiety, and occasional changes in her weight.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
The agreement comes as Panama complains its boats are suffering tighter controls in China, following the cancellation of a Hong Kong company's concession to operate two ports in the Panama Canal.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
When Joe complains and threatens to bring up the noise, Angela all but begs him to put on a smile and let it go, just for this one night.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
Nana still complains about those pictures hanging next to each other.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
She had complained of pain in the area of the injection, and she said, “It feels like my arm is about to burst.”
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
UK fans have also complained about the quality of recent match-ups in London when compared to those in the new countries where the NFL has expanded.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Stars like CM Punk and Ray Fenix have complained loudly about the way the promotion handles wrestler health.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
In recent years, homeowners, developers and businesses have complained that navigating the Planning Department can be complicating and confusing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
In her letters home, she complained about the work, the food, and the mice.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Since late September, pupils have barred the entrances to their schools, complaining of teacher absences, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and buildings ill-adapted to rising temperatures, among other grievances.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Arellano: After complaining for an hour about how horrible California is...Hilton now says it’s “the most amazing” state of them all?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
In one instance, the report says, the two commissioners even wrote a letter complaining to the chief secretary, the top bureaucrat in the Indian government.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
There was also a lot of complaining about his compensation, that it was inadequate relative to others in the industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
My nerves had calmed and my stomach was complaining.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
