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
Meanwhile, a parent of an underage Vibe customer also complained to authorities that his 17-year-old son and his son's friend were able to purchase kratom products with a fake ID and, at times, without an ID at all.
—
Logan Smith, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Residents near the Plaskolite site have long complained about odors from the plant, according to an air monitoring study sponsored by the state.
—Jason Henry, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
This feels like yet another iteration of Xbox fans complaining about issues that are incredibly small, while the huge issues remain to approach anything resembling a solution.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Retail giants and small firms alike say refunds are crucial for cutting prices, paying debts and staying afloat, even as many complain that payments are arriving painfully slowly.
—Mae Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for complain
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Logan Smith, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Residents near the Plaskolite site have long complained about odors from the plant, according to an air monitoring study sponsored by the state.
—Jason Henry, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
This feels like yet another iteration of Xbox fans complaining about issues that are incredibly small, while the huge issues remain to approach anything resembling a solution.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Retail giants and small firms alike say refunds are crucial for cutting prices, paying debts and staying afloat, even as many complain that payments are arriving painfully slowly.
—Mae Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for complain
Cite this Entry
“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complain. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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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