Definitions for complain
kəmˈpleɪncom·plain

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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. Alexandra Harwin:

   It is completely illegal for employers to retaliate against employees who complain about workplace discrimination, but this is exactly what Robert De Niro did to Ms. Robinson, inventing claims to ruin her reputation and humiliate her because he knew she was going to expose his behavior.

2. Jim Kelly:

   I have no room to complain, if tomorrow the good Lord decides that's my last day, then I'm not going to go down with a frown. I'm going down with a smile on my face, knowing that I've gotten everything out of life.

3. Yugoslav Proverb:

   Complain to one who can help you.

4. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren:

   If you complain about it, then you are whining, and if you don't complain about it, the rest of the women think,' what planet are you living on ?' And so, you get caught in between the two.

5. Bret Williams:

   President Trump might say, President Trump lawyers might say,' No, no, no. President Trump's calling to complain. President Trump's President Trump. President Trump's saying I got cheated,'.

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