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
In that interview, Hastings complained about the state’s one size fits all approach to regulating the plastics industry, an approach that fails to include local communities in the discussion.
—David Blackmon, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
Audience members had long complained about lousy acoustics under the balcony overhang and bad views from many seats, especially at the top.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024
But the vice president raised four times more than Trump in August and has a slight edge in key battleground states, all of it leaving Trump still complaining, publicly and privately according to sources, that President Biden is no longer in the race.
—ABC News, 22 Sep. 2024
To be sure… but complaining about the revival of the past is mostly a younger person’s pursuit.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for complain
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 2 Oct. 2024.
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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