complain

verb

com·​plain kəm-ˈplān How to pronounce complain (audio)
complained; complaining; complains

intransitive verb

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
complainingly adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
A number of Tesla shareholders, including some Democrats who oversee the investment of public sector pension fund money in Tesla stock, complained in May to Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm that Musk’s other activities are hurting the company. Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 14 July 2025 Essentially, the legislation does away with a process that some have complained can be time-consuming and expensive—at least in some cases. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025 Trump has complained about the EU's $231 billion trade surplus in goods, which shows Americans buy more goods from European businesses than the other way around. arkansasonline.com, 13 July 2025 Once, someone complained about people drinking in the street. Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for complain

Word History

Etymology

Middle English compleynen, from Anglo-French compleindre, from Vulgar Latin *complangere, from Latin com- + plangere to lament — more at plaint

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of complain was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complain. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

complain

verb
com·​plain kəm-ˈplān How to pronounce complain (audio)
1
: to express grief, pain, or discontent : find fault
complaining about the weather
2
: to accuse someone of wrongdoing
complainer noun
complainingly adverb

Medical Definition

complain

intransitive verb
com·​plain kəm-ˈplān How to pronounce complain (audio)
: 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

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