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
Some workers complain that receiving calls and messages can interrupt their recordings, and having a phone strapped to their head is uncomfortable.
—
Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
For years, people who lived just outside the urban center of Boca Raton complained to each other about the massive new buildings going up all around Palmetto Park Boulevard and Mizner Park, but these conversations always ended with the same sense of helplessness.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
The recovery after the procedure can be difficult, Mazzocca said, as patients will often complain about pain in the process.
—NBC news, 11 Mar. 2026
By 2015, the big three credit bureaus had become the most complained about firms in the agency’s complaint system.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complain
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Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
For years, people who lived just outside the urban center of Boca Raton complained to each other about the massive new buildings going up all around Palmetto Park Boulevard and Mizner Park, but these conversations always ended with the same sense of helplessness.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
The recovery after the procedure can be difficult, Mazzocca said, as patients will often complain about pain in the process.
—NBC news, 11 Mar. 2026
By 2015, the big three credit bureaus had become the most complained about firms in the agency’s complaint system.
—Joel Jacobs, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 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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