as in protesting
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in whining
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
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 complaining
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Jim Defede, CBS News, 3 May 2026
This filling treat will not have anyone complaining about where dinner might be.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Everyday riders would stand up and tell their experience, some complaining about feeling unsafe.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 1 May 2026
The headset, powered by the M2 chip, had a slow start, with many complaining about its weight and scoffing at the $3,500 price tag.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
No one who had a great time up to that point woke up on Thursday complaining about Bruno Mars.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Anecdotal evidence on social media shows some users complaining about GPT’s penchant for focusing on goblins in completely unrelated conversations in recent days.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere, Super Mario Galaxy is hardly complaining about coming in second ruling the roost for weeks, since it’s now focused on becoming the first film of the year to join the billion-dollar club after finishing Sunday with a global total of $871 million.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 Apr. 2026
The dog-waste donnybrook was similar to another recent clash in Brooklyn that saw a 75-year-old grandmother jumped and beaten for complaining that a dog walker was not cleaning up the pooch’s poop.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
An energy vampire has bad body language, the complaining look on their face, the vocal complainer.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
The back and forth over redistricting have set off a lot of finger pointing, with Republicans complaining when Democrats commit partisan gerrymandering and Democrats complain when Republicans do it.
—Jim Defede, CBS News, 3 May 2026
This filling treat will not have anyone complaining about where dinner might be.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Everyday riders would stand up and tell their experience, some complaining about feeling unsafe.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 1 May 2026
The headset, powered by the M2 chip, had a slow start, with many complaining about its weight and scoffing at the $3,500 price tag.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
No one who had a great time up to that point woke up on Thursday complaining about Bruno Mars.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2026
Anecdotal evidence on social media shows some users complaining about GPT’s penchant for focusing on goblins in completely unrelated conversations in recent days.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere, Super Mario Galaxy is hardly complaining about coming in second ruling the roost for weeks, since it’s now focused on becoming the first film of the year to join the billion-dollar club after finishing Sunday with a global total of $871 million.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 26 Apr. 2026
The dog-waste donnybrook was similar to another recent clash in Brooklyn that saw a 75-year-old grandmother jumped and beaten for complaining that a dog walker was not cleaning up the pooch’s poop.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complaining
Adjective
-
The death toll includes at least 19 children, 21 non-protesting civilians, and 165 in government or security forces.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
17 Jan. 2026
-
Among the dead were 13 children and 14 non-protesting civilians, HRANA said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Seattle families deal with this all the time, and the city is packed with indoor options that will keep your crew happy — no need to endure whining.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Apr. 2026
-
On the other end, the Rockets were a complete mess, dissolving in two whining technical fouls in the third quarter that sealed their fate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Richter’s grand slam Tuesday against Tinley Park ended with plenty of screaming and high-fives at home plate.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Any passengers not knocked out during the chaos or sucked out into the sky are generally screaming and grabbing for oxygen masks while Captain Rich makes a futile announcement about the importance of not panicking.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But a male voice could be heard moaning in the background.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
-
One minute later, Pedro Neto was yellow-carded for moaning.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On Tuesday, cameras caught Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing muttering something after looking back at the Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, who was in discomfort after an awkward slide at home plate.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The scent of vinegar fills the set, and a crew member wanders by muttering about dyeing Easter eggs.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There was some grumbling about a potential slight of pelicans and whether flamingos should be considered native to Florida.—
Douglas Hanks
May 6,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
-
In the meantime, however, there is also grumbling that their party isn’t doing enough to address rising costs.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Air quality concerns Smoke continued to linger Wednesday, worrying residents.—
Elijah Westbrook,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
Investors previously challenged the company's aggressive spending initiatives, worrying that new tech investments would take time to pay off.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Complaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complaining. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
