complain
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complain
- /kəmˈpleɪn/
Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
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.
verb complains · complaining · complained
- To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment. Joe was always complaining about the noise made by his neighbours.
- To 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.
- To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge. They've complained about me to the police again.
- To creak or squeak, as a timber or wheel. the complaining bed-springs
Similar: beef, bellyache, bemoan, bitch, bleat, whimper, carp, chunter, complain, crab, croak, dump on, frine, girn, give out, grumble, grotch, grouse, grouch, grump, gruntle, gripe, harp, inveigh, kvetch, latrate, make a stink, murmur, mutter, moan
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: kvetch, kick, sound off, plain, quetch, complaint, gripe, moan, bemoan, deplore, lament, mourn, squawk, pity, cavil, regrettable
Translations
Every language
verb to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
| Español | quejarse, alegar, lamentarse, querellarse |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 불평(不平)하다 bulpyeonghada, 불만(不滿)을 말하다 bulman-eul malhada, 항의(抗議)하다 hang'uihada, 민원(民願)을 제기(提起)하다 minwon-eul jegihada |
| 日本語 | ぼやく boyaku, ぶつぶつ言う butsubutsu iu, とやかく言う toyakaku iu |
| 中文 | 抱怨 bàoyuàn, 發牢騷 /发牢骚 fā láosāo, 悲嘆 /悲叹 bēitàn |
| हिन्दी | शिकायत करना śikāyat karnā |
| Kiswahili | lalamika |
| Português | reclamar, queixar-se |
| Français | se plaindre |
| Deutsch | sich beschweren, klagen, sich beklagen, meckern |
| Italiano | lamentarsi, lagnarsi |
| Ελληνικά | παραπονιέμαι paraponiémai |
| Română | plânge |
| Русский | жа́ловаться žálovatʹsja, сетовать setovatʹ, ныть nytʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | phàn nàn |
| العربية | تَذَمَّرَ taḏammara, اِشْتَكَى ištakā, شَكَا šakā |
| עברית | הִתְלוֹנֵן hitlonén |
verb to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
| Español | reclamar, protestar, quejarse, querellarse |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 고소(告訴)하다 gosohada, 고발(告發)하다 gobalhada |
| 日本語 | 文句する monku suru, 訴える uttaeru |
| 中文 | 投訴 /投诉 tóusù |
| Kiswahili | lalamika |
| Português | queixar-se |
| Français | porter plainte |
| Deutsch | sich beschweren, klagen |
| Română | se plânge, reclama |
| Русский | жа́ловаться žálovatʹsja, подава́ть жа́лобу podavátʹ žálobu |
| Tiếng Việt | thưa kiện |
| العربية | شَكَا šakā, اِشْتَكَى ištakā |
Talk about this word "complain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/complain. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. complain. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/complain "complain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/complain.Cite this
@misc{complain_2026,
title = {complain},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/complain},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
