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
Synonyms
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
Supporters of the censure complained that Dr. Shafik was sacrificing academic freedom to appease critics.
—
Alan Blinder, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Since then, users of the social media platforms have complained about the tool inundating their feeds.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Some Jewish students complained they were harassed, even assaulted, by protesters who blocked their movement.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Trump complains about James questioning his bond Trump told reporters Monday he was forced to deal with the California company because the judgment barred him from dealing with financial institutions in New York.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Petrarch's sonnets, in 14th century Italy, complained that love both scorched and chilled.
—Stephanie Burt, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Drivers have complained that the truck, whose base price begins at around $80,000, falls far short of the quality standards expected of a luxury vehicle.
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024
Some investors have complained about the decision not to pursue the Apollo deal, given the all-cash offer.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
Austin complained directly to his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during a call on April 3, one of the U.S. officials said.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Alan Blinder, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Since then, users of the social media platforms have complained about the tool inundating their feeds.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024
Some Jewish students complained they were harassed, even assaulted, by protesters who blocked their movement.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Trump complains about James questioning his bond Trump told reporters Monday he was forced to deal with the California company because the judgment barred him from dealing with financial institutions in New York.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Petrarch's sonnets, in 14th century Italy, complained that love both scorched and chilled.
—Stephanie Burt, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Drivers have complained that the truck, whose base price begins at around $80,000, falls far short of the quality standards expected of a luxury vehicle.
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024
Some investors have complained about the decision not to pursue the Apollo deal, given the all-cash offer.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
Austin complained directly to his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during a call on April 3, one of the U.S. officials said.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'complain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near complain
Cite this Entry
“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complain. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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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