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.

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

2. complainverb

   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. 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. Ray Simard:

   Goto, n.: A programming tool that exists to allow structured programmers to complain about unstructured programmers.

2. Jerome Siegel:

   People like to complain that modern life is ruining sleep, but they’re just saying: Kids today! it’s a perennial complaint but you need data to know if it’s true.

3. Jeanne Calment:

   My sight is bad, my hearing is bad, I feel bad, but I don't suffer, I don't complain.

4. John Numbi:

   There are strategic interests of the country at stake, if the investors complain ... the government will take measures (to deploy the army) if it decides the police cannot handle it.

5. Hannah Ferguson:

   It was pretty strict growing up, but I mean, I can't complain. But I think me and my siblings - I'm one of five - we've turned out pretty well. i would always flip through them and look at them and daydream about one day being able to do that. I never thought it would come true.

Images & Illustrations of complain

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