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
Several complained of eye and throat irritation, per WHDH.
—
Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025
Residents complain about a lack of enforcement of garbage containers for residential buildings and restaurants.
—Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
Some are complaining that now the only way to get the clogs is to pay more for them on eBay or another reseller.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 20 Nov. 2025
The proposal — recommended by town attorney Jennifer Wright, along with another option of temporarily suspending public comment as well as some remarks from the mayor and council members — comes after a resident complained about religious proselytizing during a meeting.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
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.
Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025
Residents complain about a lack of enforcement of garbage containers for residential buildings and restaurants.
—Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
Some are complaining that now the only way to get the clogs is to pay more for them on eBay or another reseller.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 20 Nov. 2025
The proposal — recommended by town attorney Jennifer Wright, along with another option of temporarily suspending public comment as well as some remarks from the mayor and council members — comes after a resident complained about religious proselytizing during a meeting.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
Cite this Entry
“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complain. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share