complained; complaining; complains
1
: to express grief, pain, or discontent
complaining about the weather
2
: to make a formal accusation or charge
He threatened to complain of him to the captain.
complainer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of complain in a Sentence
He works hard but he never complains.
If you're unhappy with the service, you should complain to the manager.
The students complained that the test was too hard.
“These shoes are too tight,” he complained.
Recent Examples on the Web
Austin complained directly to his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during a call on April 3, one of the U.S. officials said.
—
Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
After the game, LeBron James complained about an illness that would sideline him Sunday against Minnesota.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Many conservatives complain that mainstream churches—Catholic and Protestant alike—have grown soft and spineless.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
But Republican critics complained that those changes did not go far enough, calling into doubt whether the bill backed by the Biden administration and Johnson would have enough votes to advance.
—CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024
Later critics complained that FitzGerald made extensive use of a translator’s liberties and put things to Omar’s name that a faithful Sufi never would have committed to writing.
—Tom Zoellner, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2024
Critics, however, complain that Toyota’s insistence on offering hybrids instead of more electric vehicles – and its lobbying against government EV requirements – are holding back the auto industry’s EV transition.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
According to market analysts, posture correction technologies are expected to grow approximately 5.7 percent over the next five years, especially with rising demands due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more at-home workers complaining of back pain.
—Beth Linker, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
The prosecution, played by Greg Kinnear, brings out a parade of people who have been wronged by David, all to complain about him (Mocha Joe, Mr. Takahashi).
—Esther Zuckerman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
After the game, LeBron James complained about an illness that would sideline him Sunday against Minnesota.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Many conservatives complain that mainstream churches—Catholic and Protestant alike—have grown soft and spineless.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
But Republican critics complained that those changes did not go far enough, calling into doubt whether the bill backed by the Biden administration and Johnson would have enough votes to advance.
—CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024
Later critics complained that FitzGerald made extensive use of a translator’s liberties and put things to Omar’s name that a faithful Sufi never would have committed to writing.
—Tom Zoellner, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2024
Critics, however, complain that Toyota’s insistence on offering hybrids instead of more electric vehicles – and its lobbying against government EV requirements – are holding back the auto industry’s EV transition.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
According to market analysts, posture correction technologies are expected to grow approximately 5.7 percent over the next five years, especially with rising demands due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more at-home workers complaining of back pain.
—Beth Linker, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
The prosecution, played by Greg Kinnear, brings out a parade of people who have been wronged by David, all to complain about him (Mocha Joe, Mr. Takahashi).
—Esther Zuckerman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'complain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing complain
Dictionary Entries Near complain
Cite this Entry
“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complain. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
complain
verb
com·plain
kəm-ˈplān 
1
: to express grief, pain, or discontent : find fault
complaining about the weather
2
: to accuse someone of wrongdoing
complainer
noun
Medical Definition
complain
intransitive verb
com·plain
kəm-ˈplān
: to speak of one's illness or symptoms
the patient visited the office complaining of weight loss
Legal Definition
complain
intransitive verb
com·plain
: to make a complaint
More from Merriam-Webster on complain
Nglish: Translation of complain for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of complain for Arabic Speakers
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