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
In recent years, staff have complained of poor working conditions brought on by overcrowding, despite director Laurence des Cars’s 2023 move to cap attendance at 30,000 visitors daily, accompanied by a ticket price increase.
—
News Desk, Artforum, 7 Nov. 2025
Later that day, the parents of other dancers and talent-show participants complained that my afro had covered up their kids on-screen.
—Questlove, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025
But Frederica Wilson, a Democratic congresswoman from South Florida, vividly remembers her constituents complaining about one Facebook ad in particular.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Letters to the editor of The Kansas City Star complained that the parade’s participants far outnumbered the spectators in 2011, the year the Royal broke from tradition and rescheduled the parade to coincide with the competition.
—Patrick Salland, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
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News Desk, Artforum, 7 Nov. 2025
Later that day, the parents of other dancers and talent-show participants complained that my afro had covered up their kids on-screen.
—Questlove, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025
But Frederica Wilson, a Democratic congresswoman from South Florida, vividly remembers her constituents complaining about one Facebook ad in particular.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Letters to the editor of The Kansas City Star complained that the parade’s participants far outnumbered the spectators in 2011, the year the Royal broke from tradition and rescheduled the parade to coincide with the competition.
—Patrick Salland, Kansas City Star, 7 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 8 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
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