complained; complaining; complains
1
: to express grief, pain, or discontent
complaining about the weather
2
: to make a formal accusation or charge
He threatened to complain of him to the captain.
complainer
noun
Examples of complain in a Sentence
He works hard but he never complains.
If you're unhappy with the service, you should complain to the manager.
The students complained that the test was too hard.
“These shoes are too tight,” he complained.
Recent Examples on the Web
Consumers have complained that stores feel less distinctive, private labels have multiplied to the point of confusion, and online shopping options lag those of competitors.
—
Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Trump has long complained about absentee voting, since before the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down many in-person events.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
Moreover, on the AI front, members have complained that getting scanned for the job can be a condition of employment and that their current contract does not bar companies from using their performances to train AI tools.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Indeed, many Republican lawmakers — including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune — have complained of crime in D.C. and embraced Trump's efforts to address it.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
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Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Trump has long complained about absentee voting, since before the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down many in-person events.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
Moreover, on the AI front, members have complained that getting scanned for the job can be a condition of employment and that their current contract does not bar companies from using their performances to train AI tools.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Indeed, many Republican lawmakers — including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune — have complained of crime in D.C. and embraced Trump's efforts to address it.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for complain
Cite this Entry
“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complain. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
complain
verb
com·plain
kəm-ˈplān 
1
: to express grief, pain, or discontent : find fault
complaining about the weather
2
: to accuse someone of wrongdoing
complainer
noun
Medical Definition
complain
intransitive verb
com·plain
kəm-ˈplān
: to speak of one's illness or symptoms
the patient visited the office complaining of weight loss
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