complained

verb

past tense of complain
as in screamed
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 complained The European Football Clubs organization, which represents more than 850 clubs, complained they were also not consulted on the FFE plan. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 Players have long complained about less-lively balls that force them to swing harder to hit them through the court. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 July 2026 Instead, the stuntman said, Blake complained about how his wife was taking advantage of him. — Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 On the flip side, several noted that the café can be crowded and dirty, and quite a few reviewers complained about the dearth of actual Corgi dogs (Trudy, a Corgi owned by one of Laqua’s co-founders, makes an occasional visit). — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 29 July 2026 European leaders have long complained that cheap Chinese imports risk hollowing out their manufacturing capacity, particularly in Germany, Europe’s industrial powerhouse. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 29 July 2026 According to the entry, the call was arranged by the White House after DeSantis complained. — Miami Herald, 29 July 2026 Other confederations have also publicly complained, including the AFC and CONCACAF. — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Allegedly, students approached other teachers and complained about skits in Honka's class in which they were asked to kiss one another. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complained
  1. screamed
  2. whined
  3. moaned
  4. muttered
  5. grumbled
  6. worried
  7. growled
Verb
  • Nearby, other passengers screamed and hollered for their lives.
    — Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
  • One passenger, identified only as Christina, told Thessaloniki radio that passengers panicked and screamed and that one passenger was partially sucked out of the window.
    — Costas Kantouris, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of screamed
Verb
  • Post-Covid, Hollywood has whined about the falloff for MPA fare in Pan Asian territories, particularly the once-robust South Korea.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 28 July 2026
  • After a few casts, Rubye’s rod bent, and the reel whined as line spooled out.
    — John Todd, Outdoor Life, 9 July 2026
Definition of whined
Verb
  • Coach Arne Slot moaned about VAR but his problems lie much closer to home.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 4 May 2026
  • Critics moaned when the CFP committee picked the Hurricanes over Notre Dame as the last Power 4 entry into the playoffs.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of moaned
Verb
  • This was 1872, and the pious (and patronizing) commentators of the time muttered that Damien’s unvarnished personality was due to his simple farm upbringing in rural Belgium.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • Bat met ball and, under his breath, Astros manager Joe Espada muttered an expletive.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of muttered
Verb
  • American consumers have grumbled about higher gas prices, but the S&P 500 is up almost 9 percent since the joint American-Israeli operation that started the war in February.
    — Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
  • The congresswoman, her staffer and I grumbled about how unpredictable the House schedule has been lately.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of grumbled
Verb
  • Another common source of opposition, identified in a 2021 feasibility study, came from community groups worried the cameras would be used to surveil and criminalize marginalized groups.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
  • The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to its highest level since early last year as investors worried that higher energy prices could drive up overall inflation.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 24 July 2026
Definition of worried
Verb
  • Jack White, who growled and grinded as the singer/guitarist of the White Stripes and has since positioned himself as a primal rock god on his own, is showing a new side as a sculptor with a show opening in a London gallery run by none other than Damien Hirst.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
  • Mira growled into her watch, excitedly.
    — Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Definition of growled

Browse Nearby Words

complainants
complained
complainer
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Cite this Entry

“Complained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complained. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of complained for Spanish Speakers

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