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
During a ski vacation in the seventh episode, Ginny complains that Nick is not being fully present with her friends.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2025
One Truist customer complained on DownDetector that their rent payment has been pending since Thursday evening.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
When, in the run-up to the 100-day mark of Trump’s second term, Fox and many other outlets released polls suggesting new extremes of public dismay, Trump complained.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 2 May 2025
At the start, residents complained mightily about the removal of trees that weren’t dead.
—Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
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Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2025
One Truist customer complained on DownDetector that their rent payment has been pending since Thursday evening.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
When, in the run-up to the 100-day mark of Trump’s second term, Fox and many other outlets released polls suggesting new extremes of public dismay, Trump complained.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 2 May 2025
At the start, residents complained mightily about the removal of trees that weren’t dead.
—Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 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 9 May. 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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