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. Eytan Szmuilowicz:

   We don’t know how to manage or negotiate it, it is easier behind the scenes to complain that a treatment may be inappropriate, but we have n’t taken a step back to think if we are providing care that furthers a patient’s goals.

2. Niki Lauda:

   They should look here, the people who always complain, it's a very simple thing. The children were free. Everywhere else they charge for children. So what does a family do with three children? They can't come. And all these things here are done absolutely right.

3. Douglas Bazi:

   I never talked about my story for many reasons but, first, because this is the cost [of being] a Christian in Iraq, second because, as a priest, we are used to persecution. When we get in the seminarythey tell us: ‘You don’t know, maybe youwill be killed one day.’ Third,I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. Who I am to complain?

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. Lily Tomlin:

   I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain.

Images & Illustrations of complain

Popularity rank by frequency of use