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
Relevance
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
Several fans complained on social media about having a poor view of the singer's concert due to the tour's tall ramp structures.
—
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 21 May 2026
Defense and foreign ministry officials this week formally complained to the Russian embassy about the air incident, the statement added.
—CBS News, 20 May 2026
That fight, actually a fun superhero brawl, something that has been in short supply in the series for a while, involved bringing in Ryan again, a character fans complained had been sidelined, despite his previous importance, now key to helping win the fight.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some fans holding the flag or bearing anti-government slogans complained of being barred from some stadiums, but the policy wasn’t universal.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2026
In those messages, Rydman allegedly complained about Muslim women wearing headscarves and said disparaging things about people from Somalia, Nigeria and the Middle East.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
Many Perplexity Pro users have complained on social media since Friday about new usage limits appearing on their accounts without any prior notification.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026
But over the last few weeks, Zayn has complained about the state of pro wrestling.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Portage resident Bruno Mendez complained Tuesday not about what a code violation cited him for but the way it was worded.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 21 May 2026
Defense and foreign ministry officials this week formally complained to the Russian embassy about the air incident, the statement added.
—CBS News, 20 May 2026
That fight, actually a fun superhero brawl, something that has been in short supply in the series for a while, involved bringing in Ryan again, a character fans complained had been sidelined, despite his previous importance, now key to helping win the fight.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some fans holding the flag or bearing anti-government slogans complained of being barred from some stadiums, but the policy wasn’t universal.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2026
In those messages, Rydman allegedly complained about Muslim women wearing headscarves and said disparaging things about people from Somalia, Nigeria and the Middle East.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
Many Perplexity Pro users have complained on social media since Friday about new usage limits appearing on their accounts without any prior notification.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026
But over the last few weeks, Zayn has complained about the state of pro wrestling.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Portage resident Bruno Mendez complained Tuesday not about what a code violation cited him for but the way it was worded.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complained
Verb
-
Entertainment Weekly reported that, on both occasions, fans screamed loudly for the iconic musician.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
22 May 2026
-
The Knicks then opened overtime with a 9-0 run as a delirious crowd in Madison Square Garden danced and screamed in the aisles.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Traffic hummed and whined on I-85.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
-
Second, in a report of their own, the pro-business commissioners whined that all of this was unfair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
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
Verb
-
As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The two-time Masters champion spun, glared at the spectator, grumbled under his breath and seemed to point out the person to security.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
At a Cannes where some have grumbled about a paucity of studio movies (and thus stars), the absence of Scarlett Johansson at last night’s premiere of Paper Tiger was notable.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson delivered a sharp defense of data centers at a packed community meeting yesterday, responding to questions from residents worried that massive new facilities dedicated to artificial intelligence could suck up the village’s water or increase their utility bills.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
-
The government also worried that Mythos would use some of the limited computing power source the government also needs to operate AI tools, The Wall Street Journal reported previously.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Complained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complained. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
