complain
verbcommon in dialogue
- //kəmˈpleɪn//
To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
verb
- 1
To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
Joe was always complaining about the noise made by his neighbours.
O loſs of ſight, of thee I moſt complain!
- 2
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.
- 3
To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.
They've complained about me to the police again.
Now, Master Shallow, you'll complain of me to the king?
If you get cheated by the Better Business Bureau, who do you complain to?
- 4
To creak or squeak, as a timber or wheel.
the complaining bed-springs
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Latin com- Proto-Indo-European *pel- Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂-n-g-e-tider. Proto-Italic *plāngō Latin plango Latin plangere Medieval Latin complangereder. Old French conplaindre Old French complaindreder. Middle English complaynen English complain 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.
Forms
- past tense
- complained
- past participle
- complained
- present participle
- complaining
- third person singular
- complains
complain · To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
complaining · The act by which someone complains; a complaint.complaint · The act of complaining.complete · To finish; to make done; to reach the end.