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
Those include removing security gates that people complained rattled when cars drove over the track and notifying neighbors of special events at least 30 days in advance.
—
Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
The conservative Christian advocacy organization Texas Values publicized the the complaint, which does not identify the complaining parent.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
Several exhibitors took to social media to complain that their personal belonging and products on display were stolen.
—Rajesh Roy, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
But the new uniforms flopped spectacularly upon their debut in spring training, with players complaining that the jerseys looked cheap, felt papery and that the names on the back were too small.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for complain
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Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
The conservative Christian advocacy organization Texas Values publicized the the complaint, which does not identify the complaining parent.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
Several exhibitors took to social media to complain that their personal belonging and products on display were stolen.
—Rajesh Roy, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
But the new uniforms flopped spectacularly upon their debut in spring training, with players complaining that the jerseys looked cheap, felt papery and that the names on the back were too small.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 Feb. 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 20 Feb. 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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