Definitions for complain
kəmˈpleɪncom·plain

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. complain, kick, plain, sound off, quetch, kvetchverb

   express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

   "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about"

2. complainverb

   make a formal accusation; bring a formal charge

   "The plaintiff's lawyer complained that he defendant had physically abused his client"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. complainverb

   To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.

   Joe was always complaining about the noise made by his neighbours.

2. complainverb

   To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.

   They've complained about me to the police again.

3. Etymology: From complaynen, from complaindre, from complangere, from com- + plangere; see plain, plaint.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To Complainverb

   This sense is rare, and perhaps not very proper. To lament; to bewail.

   Gaufride, who couldst so well in rhime complain
   The death of Richard, with an arrow slain. John Dryden, Fables.

2. To COMPLAINverb

   Etymology: complaindre, French.

   1. To mention with sorrow or resentment; to murmur; to lament. With of before the cause of sorrow.

   Lord Hastings,
   Humbly complaining to her deity,
   Got my lord chamberlain his liberty. William Shakespeare, Richard III.

   I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job, vii. 11.

   Shall I, like thee, on Friday night complain?
   For on that day was Cœur de Lion slain. John Dryden, Fables.

   Do not all men complain, even these as well as others, of the great ignorance of mankind? Thomas Burnet, Theory of Earth. Pref. to.

   Thus accurs’d,
   In midst of water I complain of thirst. Dryden.

   2. Sometimes with for before the causal noun.

   Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Lam. iii. 39.

   3. To inform against.

   Now, master Shallow, you’ll complain of me to the council? William Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. complain

   In legal terminology, a complaint is any formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties (the plaintiff(s)) believes are sufficient to support a claim against the party or parties against whom the claim is brought (the defendant(s)) that entitles the plaintiff(s) to a remedy (either money damages or injunctive relief). For example, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) that govern civil litigation in United States courts provide that a civil action is commenced with the filing or service of a pleading called a complaint. Civil court rules in states that have incorporated the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure use the same term for the same pleading. In Civil Law, a “complaint” is the first formal action taken to officially begin a lawsuit. This written document contains the allegations against the defense, the specific laws violated, the facts that led to the dispute, and any demands made by the plaintiff to restore justice.In some jurisdictions, specific types of criminal cases may also be commenced by the filing of a complaint, also sometimes called a criminal complaint or felony complaint. Most criminal cases are prosecuted in the name of the governmental authority that promulgates criminal statutes and enforces the police power of the state with the goal of seeking criminal sanctions, such as the State (also sometimes called the People) or Crown (in Commonwealth realms). In the United States, the complaint is often associated with misdemeanor criminal charges presented by the prosecutor without the grand jury process. In most U.S. jurisdictions, the charging instrument presented to and authorized by a grand jury is referred to as an indictment.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Complainverb

   to give utterance to expression of grief, pain, censure, regret. etc.; to lament; to murmur; to find fault; -- commonly used with of. Also, to creak or squeak, as a timber or wheel

2. Complainverb

   to make a formal accusation; to make a charge

3. Complainverb

   to lament; to bewail

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Complain

   kom-plān′, v.i. to express grief, pain, censure: to murmur or express a sense of injury: to accuse: to make a mournful sound: to be ill—e.g. 'to complain of a sore throat.'—n. complaint.—ns. Complain′ant, one who complains: (law) one who raises a suit, a plaintiff; Complain′er, a murmurer: complainant; Complain′ing, the action of the verb complain: complaint.—adv. Complain′ingly.—n. Complaint′, a complaining: an expression of grief: a representation of pains or injuries: a finding fault: the thing complained of: a disease: an ailment. [Fr. complaindre—Low L. complangĕre—L. com, inten., plangĕre, bewail.]

Matched Categories

1. • Charge

British National Corpus

1. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'complain' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3729

2. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'complain' in Verbs Frequency: #443

Anagrams for complain »

1. amplicon

How to pronounce complain?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say complain in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of complain in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of complain in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of complain in a Sentence

1. Michelle Meyer:

   Inventory-to-sales ratios are at historic lows, record numbers of small businesses complain of tight inventories, ports are congested, and shortages of semiconductor chips and new/used cars are driving prices higher, we expect goods inflation to soften by year end as demand levels off and production rebounds, but wages may continue to climb.

2. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush:

   We will not win if we just complain about how bad things are.

3. Ricardo Gareca:

   Peru did as much as possible to win the game and score. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to do that, i have nothing to say to my players. They did their best. I really can't complain. I think in general terms the result doesn't really reflect what happened on the pitch. But football is all about effectiveness.

4. Nayda Martinez:

   There are things that shouldn't get lost, that have gone very well here even though Cubans complain, i don't want the system, the country or the regime, whatever you want to call it, to change.

5. Jimmy Kimmel:

   After you won the game, do you remember what I did? I said ‘good game, thanks’ and I shook your disgusting hand, i didn’t complain that it was rigged, I didn’t ask for a recount on the referee, I didn’t start a conspiracy theory about the basketball having a microchip in it. I brought shame on my family and I embraced it as I always do.

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