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 company previously tried removing artificial colors from Trix in 2015, but reversed course two years later after consumers complained about the cereal’s more muted appearance. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026 Detainees have long complained about harsh conditions, including faulty cooling and water systems. — Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Last month, one customer complained to PCMag about Starlink customer support, alleging the AI chatbot failed to honor the free Mini dish perk for their Residential Max plan. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026 There were no such lineups outside banks, and grocery stores and pharmacies are still well-stocked, but customers complained about being able to afford less. — David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Social media was raging, and even UAE Team Emirates XRG, Pogačar’s team, complained about Jons’ behavior. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Others complained about the traffic jams and parking restrictions in the runup to the event. — Ava Berger, NPR, 24 Aug. 2026 The families of the journalists complained that they were held illegally. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 Mayor Karen Bass had imposed a 45-day deadline for Lineage to clean everything up as neighbors complained of rotting smells, rodents and flies. — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complained
  1. screamed
  2. whined
  3. moaned
  4. muttered
  5. grumbled
  6. worried
  7. growled
Verb
  • Montes grabbed and threw two $10,000 candle holders to the ground, breaking them, and screamed at the congregation, according to prosecutors.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Police said the caller screamed and yelled while attempting to close the bathroom door.
    — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 17 Aug. 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
  • There was a parade, and the masses grumbled over the faint legitimacy of the ordeal.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of grumbled
Verb
  • The British Royal Navy, worried about French ships falling into German hands following their ally’s defeat, sunk the fleet in the port of Mers-el-Kébir, near Oran in Algeria.
    — Rakesh Kumar, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Last week, biologists opened pens and freed two birds early, worried they might be killed.
    — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of worried
Verb
  • Since then, Barkley has growled at several other people, and all but one have been diagnosed with some type of cancer, Dozier said.
    — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Aug. 2026
  • At the other end of our road, the cranes of the docks loomed — great Stothert and Pitt machines that growled overhead like something out of Star Wars, guarding the scale and mystery of the River Thames.
    — Lee Clayton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

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