Definitions for complain
kəmˈpleɪncom·plain

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

1. complain, kick, plain, sound off, quetch, kvetch(verb)

   express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

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

2. complain(verb)

   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. complain(Verb)

   To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.

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

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

2. complain(Verb)

   To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.

   They've complained about me to the police again.

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

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

1. Complain(verb)

   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. Complain(verb)

   to make a formal accusation; to make a charge

3. Complain(verb)

   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.]

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

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

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. Akin Ojo:

   I'm voting because the stakes are too high. If I don't vote, then I can't complain when things don't change, this election is important.

2. Barack Obama:

   This issue of softwood lumber will get resolved in some fashion ... undoubtedly to the dissatisfaction of all parties concerned, each side will want 100 percent, and we'll find a way for each side to get 60 percent or so of what they need, and people will complain and grumble, but it will be fine.

3. Randolph:

   Spare not, nor spend too much, be this thy care, Spare but to spend, and only spend to spare. Who spends too much may want, and so complain; But he spends best that spares to spend again.

4. Ziggy:

   You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.

5. Professor Karsten Koenig:

   NASA and ESA - the European Space Agency - came to us and asked, 'is it possible to also look in the skin of astronauts? Because we want to know if there's any aging process going on or what kind of modifications happened to astronauts as they work for six months out in space.' Because many astronauts complain about skin problems.

Images & Illustrations of complain

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