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
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
Another woman, 59, complained of back pain, per the outlets.
—
Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Shareholders have complained about the speed of progress and welcome the strategy shift in the same breath, all the while demanding the business grows what’s left of the overnight audience share.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Dani has fallen asleep, though only after complaining vociferously about the light.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
And in a world telling you to suck it up, be tough, not complain, and not cry, ever?
—Kevin Powell, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
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Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Shareholders have complained about the speed of progress and welcome the strategy shift in the same breath, all the while demanding the business grows what’s left of the overnight audience share.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Dani has fallen asleep, though only after complaining vociferously about the light.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
And in a world telling you to suck it up, be tough, not complain, and not cry, ever?
—Kevin Powell, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
Cite this Entry
“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complain. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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