complain

verb

com·plain | \ kəm-ˈplān

complained; complaining; complains

Definition of complain

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.

Other Words from complain Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about complain

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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

Paolino has long complained that too many people loiter in Kennedy Plaza and on the surrounding sidewalks, driving away businesses that might be interested in opening downtown. — Dan Mcgowan, BostonGlobe.com, "Underground bus tunnel pitched for Kennedy Plaza redesign in downtown Providence," 5 Sep. 2019 Cornell does not exactly complain about playing defensive end. — Nathan Baird, cleveland.com, "Ohio State football needs Jashon Cornell’s versatility, but most of all it needs him at tackle," 5 Sep. 2019 The baggage of hearing locals complain about the Wine Train over the years. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "Review: The Napa Valley Wine Train is tacky. It’s also a lot of fun.," 5 Sep. 2019 Parents also complained about a lack of communication about students being moved to different buses when their usual bus was full, which led to some students being dropped off later than expected. — Alec Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The Pewaukee School District added a new bus route after parents raised concerns about overcrowding on social media," 4 Sep. 2019 The union also has complained to the National Labor Relations Board. — Anne Saker, Cincinnati.com, "Nurses at University of Cincinnati Medical Center to set up picket to protest job actions," 2 Sep. 2019 For years, the Chicago Police Department has complained that people arrested on gun charges are treated too leniently by prosecutors and judges, further fueling the city's violence. — Jeremy Gorner, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago police launch GunStat to fight gun violence by ‘identifying gaps and closing loopholes’ in justice system," 29 Aug. 2019 The Bolivian Friends of Nature Foundation has complained that the government ignored fire precautions needed at a time when the area — unlike the Amazon further north — is suffering drought conditions. — Washington Post, "Vast fires sweep across Bolivia as well as Brazil," 27 Aug. 2019 The competitive Fortnite community has complained almost nonstop about the B.R.U.T.E., and #removethemech has become a top Twitter trending topic in response to Epic’s lax response to feedback. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Fortnite’s next tournament will also be its most controversial, thanks to mech suits," 16 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'complain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.