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
Customers have taken to social media platforms for days to complain about things like lack of overhead bin space and not being allowed to switch seats, even when there are plenty open.
—
Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Lawmakers have complained that redactions in the files appear to go beyond the limited exemptions allowed for in a law Congress passed nearly unanimously in November.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
In any case, many in East Asia complain that their systems work children too hard, robbing them of fun, and focus too much on memorization and not enough on creativity.
—Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
If released on bond, Curtis must wear a GPS tether and cannot have contact with the complaining witness, the children or his ex-wife's residence.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
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.
Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Lawmakers have complained that redactions in the files appear to go beyond the limited exemptions allowed for in a law Congress passed nearly unanimously in November.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
In any case, many in East Asia complain that their systems work children too hard, robbing them of fun, and focus too much on memorization and not enough on creativity.
—Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
If released on bond, Curtis must wear a GPS tether and cannot have contact with the complaining witness, the children or his ex-wife's residence.
—Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 11 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 13 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
