complain

C3O1M3P3L1A1I1N1
/kəmˈpleɪn/

verb

To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.

“the complaining bed-springs”

Similar
beefbellyachebemoanbitchbleatwhimpercarpchunter
Opposite
cheer
OriginMiddle English complaynen ← Old French complaindre ← Medieval Latin complangere →
CommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

verbcomplain (third-person singular simple present complains, present participle complaining, simple past and past participle complained)

present singular third person complains · participle present complaining · participle past complained · past complained

  1. intransitiveTo express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.

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

    1 more example

    O loſs of ſight, of thee I moſt complain!

    1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 12, line 67
  2. intransitiveTo state the presence of something negative; to indicate that one is suffering from something; to report (e.g.) a symptom.

    The patient complained of headache, nausea, and joint pain.

  3. intransitiveTo make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.

    They've complained about me to the police again.

    2 more examples

    Now, Master Shallow, you'll complain of me to the king?

    c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

    If you get cheated by the Better Business Bureau, who do you complain to?

    1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 85
  4. To creak or squeak, as a timber or wheel.

    the complaining bed-springs

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
beefbellyachebemoanbitchbleatwhimpercarpchuntercrabcroakdump onfrinegirngive outgrumblegrotchgrousegrouchgrumpgruntlegripeharpinveighkvetchlatratemake a stinkmurmurmuttermoannagnarknudzhpinchpiss and moanrailrail outrepineridesnivelwhinewhinge
Broader
communicate
Narrower
yammergroan

verbexpress complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

Similar
kickplainsound offquetchkvetch
Opposite
cheer
Broader
expressverbalizeverbalise
Also see
bemoangripegrotchgrouchkickkvetchmoanpinchplainpress chargessnivelsound off

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Latincom-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*pel-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*pl(e)h₂-n-g-e-ti
  8. Proto-Italic*plāngō
  9. Latinplango
  10. Latinplangere
  11. Medieval Latincomplangere
  12. Old Frenchconplaindre
  13. Old Frenchcomplaindre
  14. Middle Englishcomplaynen
  15. Englishcomplain

From Middle English complaynen, from Old French complaindre, from Medieval Latin complangere (“to bewail, complain”), from Latin com- (“together”) + plangere (“to strike, beat, as the breast in extreme grief, bewail”); see plain, plaint.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek μέμφομαι
  • μέμφομαι (mémphomai)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Arabic تَذَمَّرَ, اِشْتَكَى
  • تَذَمَّرَ (taḏammara)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • اِشْتَكَى (ištakā)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • شَكَا (šakā)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • شَكَا (šakā)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • اِشْتَكَى (ištakā)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Basque auhendatu
  • auhendatuto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Bulgarian оплаквам се, подавам жалба
  • оплаквам се (oplakvam se)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • подавам жалба (podavam žalba)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Catalan queixar-se, plànyer-se
  • queixar-seto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • plànyer-seto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Chinese Mandarin 抱怨, 發牢騷 /发牢骚
  • 抱怨 (bàoyuàn)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • 發牢騷 /发牢骚 (fā láosāo)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • 悲嘆 /悲叹 (bēitàn)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • 投訴 /投诉 (tóusù)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Czech stěžovat si, podat stížnost
  • stěžovat sito express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • podat stížnostto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Danish klage, beklage sig
  • klageto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • beklage sigto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • brokke sigto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Dutch klagen, een klacht indienen
  • klagento express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • een klacht indienento make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • klagento make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • zeikento make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • kankerento make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Esperanto plendi, plendi
  • plendito express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • plendito make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Finnish valittaa, valittaa
  • valittaato express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • valittaato make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • tehdä valitusto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
French se plaindre, porter plainte
  • se plaindreto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • porter plainteto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
German sich beschweren, klagen
  • sich beschwerento express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • klagento express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • sich beklagento express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • meckernto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • sich beschwerento make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • klagento make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Greek παραπονιέμαι
  • παραπονιέμαι (paraponiémai)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Hawaiian hoʻohalahala
  • hoʻohalahalato express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Hebrew הִתְלוֹנֵן
  • הִתְלוֹנֵן (hitlonén)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Hindi शिकायत करना
  • शिकायत करना (śikāyat karnā)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Indonesian adu, merajuk
  • aduto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • merajukto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • mengeluhto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Irish bí ag clamhsán, déan clamhsán
  • bí ag clamhsánto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • déan clamhsánto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • éagaointo express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • bí ag clamhsánto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • déan clamhsánto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Italian lamentarsi, lagnarsi
  • lamentarsito express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • lagnarsito express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Japanese ぼやく, ぶつぶつ言う
  • ぼやく (boyaku)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • ぶつぶつ言う (butsubutsu iu)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • とやかく言う (toyakaku iu)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • 文句する (monku suru)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • 訴える (uttaeru)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Korean 불평(不平)하다, 불만(不滿)을 말하다
  • 불평(不平)하다 (bulpyeonghada)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • 불만(不滿)을 말하다 (bulman-eul malhada)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • 항의(抗議)하다 (hang'uihada)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • 민원(民願)을 제기(提起)하다 (minwon-eul jegihada)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • 고소(告訴)하다 (gosohada)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • 고발(告發)하다 (gobalhada)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Latin queror
  • querorto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Malay adu
  • aduto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Polish narzekać, skarżyć się
  • narzekaćto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • skarżyć sięto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • skarżyćto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • składać skargęto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Portuguese reclamar, queixar-se
  • reclamarto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • queixar-seto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • queixar-seto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Romanian plânge, se plânge
  • plângeto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • se plângeto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • reclamato make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Russian жа́ловаться, сетовать
  • жа́ловаться (žálovatʹsja)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • сетовать (setovatʹ)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • ныть (nytʹ)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • жа́ловаться (žálovatʹsja)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • подава́ть жа́лобу (podavátʹ žálobu)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Scottish Gaelic gearain, talaich
  • gearainto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • talaichto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • dèan casaidto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Spanish quejarse, alegar
  • quejarseto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • alegarto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • lamentarseto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • querellarseto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • reclamarto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • protestarto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • quejarseto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
  • querellarseto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Swahili lalamika, lalamika
  • lalamikato express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • lalamikato make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Swedish klaga
  • klagato express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
Thai บ่น, ร้องเรียน
  • บ่น (bòn)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • ร้องเรียน (rɔ́ɔng-riian)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Ukrainian ска́ржитися, ни́ти
  • ска́ржитися (skáržytysja)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • ни́ти (nýty)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • жалі́тися (žalítysja)to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • ска́ржитися (skáržytysja)to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Vietnamese phàn nàn, thưa kiện
  • phàn nànto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • thưa kiệnto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
Welsh achwyn, cwyno
  • achwynto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • cwynoto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • conanto express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
  • achwynto make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with complain

mainagaindomainSpainpaincampaignchainmaintaingaintrainobtainremaincontainrainmaineexplainlaneplainjaneplaneWayneUkrainegrainstrain
All rhymes →

Anagrams

amplicon
Cite this entry
APA

complain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complain

MLA

“complain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complain. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “complain,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/complain.

Source: complain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.