complain

verb

kəm-ˈplān How to pronounce complain (audio)
Definition of complainnext
as in to scream
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely the time-honored tradition of new recruits complaining about the food in the mess hall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of complain However, some did complain about the company's free shipping minimum and had issues with their orders being lost in transit. — Jamela Adam, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Conley complained of neck pain to first responders, who took him to Rhode Island Hospital, the police said. — Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 3 July 2026 Some fans have complained about the high price of food in World Cup stadiums, for example. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 When another passenger complained that their semiautomatic handgun was missing from their luggage after a June 28 flight, FBI officials tracked an Apple AirTag moving with the weapon, ultimately leading them to Overton, per the outlet. — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for complain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complain
  1. scream
  2. whine
  3. moan
  4. grumble
  5. mutter
  6. worry
Verb
  • From the outset of the selloff earlier this year, Jim Cramer was screaming from the rooftops that cyber should never have been lumped into run-of-the-mill enterprise software.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 7 July 2026
  • There were no vendors hawking bootleg royal-wedding merch, no screaming lines of fans, not even that many impromptu sing-alongs (some were solicited by journalists looking for content).
    — Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 6 July 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • No whining about measly travel headaches with the mother of all bad-trip sagas looming on the big screen.
    — Alex Pulaski, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • All this whining about online hate and fans being mean and blah, blah, blah.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of whine
Verb
  • Three other men appeared to be detained as Salgado Araujo lay moaning on the ground, according to his son, who said one of them was his uncle and that no one has heard from them since.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
  • The call lasted for 12 excruciating minutes, as Adams moaned in pain.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026
Definition of moan
Verb
  • The congresswoman, her staffer and I grumbled about how unpredictable the House schedule has been lately.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Certain organizations, like the Baltimore Orioles, are notorious for never having enough arms, which can lead to grumbling from teams that do, like the Tampa Bay Rays.
    — Brittany Ghiroli, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of grumble
Verb
  • Bat met ball and, under his breath, Astros manager Joe Espada muttered an expletive.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026
  • In the shadows of the long-hut, the elders muttered among themselves—of portents and crops and weather and the storage of grain.
    — Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Definition of mutter
Verb
  • The shadow of the war will loom over the upcoming midterm elections in November – something Republicans have privately been worrying about for months amid growing voter discontent over the war.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
  • The idea has sparked debate, the sources said, with some officials worried that a pause would set back the department’s efforts to hire more police officers and replenish its dwindling ranks.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of worry

Browse Nearby Words

complacent
complain
complainant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complain. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of complain for Spanish Speakers

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