complain

verb

kəm-ˈplān How to pronounce complain (audio)
Definition of complainnext
as in to scream
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely the time-honored tradition of new recruits complaining about the food in the mess hall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of complain Farmed animal advocacy groups have documented and complained about that for years, and the GAO this summer similarly reported that enforcement is extremely limited. — Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 24 Oct. 2026 The Chans added an optional 4% healthcare contribution surcharge to diners’ checks in 2024 but received death threats after an out-of-town customer complained on social media, Emily said. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 The fatal shooting of Kohen on June 14 caused an uproar in this small town some 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, where Black residents have long complained about police harassment. — Dan Gallo, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026 This was the first opportunity, Ubovic said, to do something tangible, instead of just complaining. — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for complain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complain
  1. scream
  2. whine
  3. moan
  4. grumble
  5. mutter
  6. worry
Verb
  • A little girl pounding her fists and screaming; none of the visitors nor the staff were allowed to hold her to provide comfort.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Rays third baseman Junior Caminero screamed in the dugout after Milwaukee had rallied to tie the game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Unlike last year when Texas coach Steve Sarkisian whined about his non-conference schedule, his main complaint this year will be his conference schedule.
    — Mac Engel October 25, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026
  • This contract then frees me, within the pages of the notebook, to do anything—to write or draw, or paint, to whine and complain, to plot and scheme—to fail or succeed without fear.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of whine
Verb
  • It's been a big few months for Austin Abrams moaning and groaning his way through some of the worst situations imaginable.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For a cold moment the silence locked a grip on our table, though it was broken, at the edges, by the golf commentators moaning and harrumphing, Rory McIlroy having had a canary on a seventeenth fairway somewhere this championship Sunday.
    — Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of moan
Verb
  • Consumers are understandably grumbling that prices are way up on food and gasoline.
    — Merrill Matthews, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Know More Waters is one of a number of senior members of Congress that fellow Democrats are grumbling about in private for being delinquent on their dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of grumble
Verb
  • The camera then cut to McCarthy, who muttered a profanity in response.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Max Muncy, whose home run expanded the Dodgers’ lead, was still muttering about the heat nearly 15 minutes after escaping into air conditioning.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of mutter
Verb
  • And experts now worry about their potential to reach the Great Lakes.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • That worries Jonathan Jarry, a science communicator at McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Montreal.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of worry

Browse Nearby Words

complacent
complain
complainant
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Cite this Entry

“Complain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complain. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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