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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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:
“As long as we win the World Cup,” Yamal said ahead of his clash with France, “I think no one here will complain about me not scoring goals.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
BBC Studios in its legal response said Rees did not complain of any injuries at the time or after the crash.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Don’t try and latch on to whatever the success is, and then complain that it didn’t work for you when that wasn’t your forte to begin with.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
"We have no choice. If you don't give customers plastic bags, they complain," said Chang Chiu-hsiang, a 78-year-old grocer in Taipei.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
“Until today, he didn’t complain once about not having a sword.”
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Someone complains about the line, the weather, our politics or the UPS driver who goes to the front of the queue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 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
As resuscitation efforts continue, Digwa complains about the flashing emergency vehicle lights, asking the male officer questioning him to "turn the flashes off".
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Bill Plaschke’s column criticizing Caitlin Clark as a whiny, entitled player who constantly complains to officials and her coach would be laughable if not so hypocritical.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
She complains to Theo that Vincent is stubborn, irritating, “more of a wooden lion than ever and is very annoyed at the preparations.”
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Faculty advocates for testing complained that the timeline could, in reality, leave UC test-free until the fall 2029 application cycle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
The jet was gifted to the U.S. by the Qatari government last year after Trump complained that the planes he was required to fly on as president were too old and small.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
They retched when he complained, “I know you’re upset. We’re upset. Our building burned down.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Qatar's royal family donated the 747-8 plane last year after Trump complained about the state of the two aging jets that have served as the US presidential plane since 1990.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
I complained to my brother, but there was nothing he could do.
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
But given the number of people complaining about the show’s pokey plotting, it was fair to wonder if “The Bear” would again make the cut for Season 4.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
So everybody comes into this insane workweek having just been in therapy, complaining about work.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
Hundreds of fans have been complaining online, while one report suggested thousands have had their tickets cancelled.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
The rail network in Germany is in poor condition, with passengers frequently complaining of late trains, cancelled services and ageing infrastructure.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
She knew he’d gone to that fancy private school and that he lived in Brooklyn, because he never stopped complaining about it.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
