Adjacent Words

Complain definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COMPLAIN, v.i.
1. To utter expressions of grief; to lament.
I will complain in the bitterness of my spirit. Job 7.
I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed. Psalms 77.
2. To utter expressions of censure or resentment; to murmur; to find fault.
And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord. Numbers 11.
3. To utter expressions of uneasiness, or pain. He complains of thirst. He complains of a head-ache.
4. To charge; to accuse of an offense; to present an accusation against a person to a proper officer.
To A B, one of the justices of the peace for the county of S, complains C D.
This verb is regularly followed by of, before the cause of grief or censure; as, to complain of thirst, of ignorance, of vice, of an offender.
5. To represent injuries, particularly in a writ of Audita Querela.
COMPLAIN, v.t. To lament; to bewail.
They might the grievance inwardly complain.
This use of complain is uncommon, and hardly legitimate. The phrase is properly elliptical.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about" [syn: complain, kick, plain, sound off, quetch, kvetch] [ant: cheer, cheer up, chirk up]
2: make a formal accusation; bring a formal charge; "The plaintiff's lawyer complained that he defendant had physically abused his client"

Merriam Webster's

intransitive verb Etymology: Middle English compleynen, from Anglo-French compleindre, from Vulgar Latin *complangere, from Latin com- + plangere to lament — more at plaint Date: 14th century 1. to express grief, pain, or discontent <complaining about the weather> 2. to make a formal accusation or charge • complainer noun • complainingly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.intr. 1 (often foll. by about, at, or that + clause) express dissatisfaction (complained at the state of the room; is always complaining). 2 (foll. by of) a announce that one is suffering from (an ailment) (complained of a headache). b state a grievance concerning (complained of the delay). 3 make a mournful sound; groan, creak under a strain. Derivatives: complainer n. complainingly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF complaindre (stem complaign-) f. med.L complangere bewail (as COM-, plangere planct- lament)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Complain Com*plain", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Complained; p. pr. & vb. n. Complaining.] [F. complaindre, LL. complangere; com- + L. plangere to strike, beat, to beat the breast or head as a sign of grief, to lament. See Plaint.] 1. 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. O loss of sight, of thee I most complain! --Milton. 2. To make a formal accusation; to make a charge. Now, Master Shallow, you'll complain of me to the king? --Shak. Syn: To repine; grumble; deplore; bewail; grieve; mourn; regret; murmur.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Complain Com*plain", v. t. To lament; to bewail. [Obs.] They might the grievance inwardly complain. --Daniel. By chaste Lucrece's soul that late complain'd Her wrongs to us. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(complains, complaining, complained) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you complain about a situation, you say that you are not satisfied with it. Miners have complained bitterly that the government did not fulfill their promises... The American couple complained about the high cost of visiting Europe... They are liable to face more mistreatment if they complain to the police... People should complain when they consider an advert offensive... 'I do everything you ask of me,' he complained. VERB: V that, V about/of n, V to n, V, V with quote 2. If you complain of pain or illness, you say that you are feeling pain or feeling ill. He complained of a headache. VERB: V of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. Murmur, lament, bewail, grumble, croak, find fault, express pain, moan, groan.

Moby Thesaurus

accuse, ail, air a grievance, allege, arraign, article, be affected with, beef, bellyache, bemoan, bitch, boggle, book, boycott, bring accusation, bring charges, bring to book, call in question, carp at, challenge, charge, cite, clamor, complain loudly, complain of, confront, contend with, crab, croak, cry, cry out against, demonstrate, demonstrate against, demur, denounce, denunciate, dispute, dissent, enter a protest, expostulate, face down, face out, face up to, fasten on, fasten upon, feel ill, find fault, finger, fret, fret and fume, front, fuss, gripe, groan, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grunt, hang something on, holler, howl, impeach, imply, impute, indict, inform against, inform on, insinuate, kick, kick against, labor under, lament, lay charges, lodge a complaint, lodge a plaint, make a stand, march, meet head-on, moan, murmur, mutter, nag, object, offer resistance, oppose, pester, picket, pin on, prefer charges, press charges, press objections, protest, put on report, raise a howl, rally, recalcitrate, register a complaint, reluct, remonstrate, repine, report, reproach, revolt, scruple, show fight, sing the blues, sit in, squawk, stand, stand at bay, stand up against, stand up to, state a grievance, strike, strive against, suffer, take on, take to task, task, taunt with, tax, teach in, twit, wail, whimper, whine, withstand, worry, yap, yell bloody murder, yelp