Complain

Definition: Complain

Complain

Verb

1. Express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about".

2. Make a formal accusation; bring a formal charge; "The plaintiff's lawyer complained that he defendant had physically abused his client".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "complain" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1050. (references)

Synonyms: Complain

Disease

Verb: be ill; Adjective: ail, suffer, labor under, be affected with, complain of, have; droop, flag, languish, halt; sicken, peak, pine; gasp.

Lamentation

Cry out before one is hurt, complain without cause.

Complain, murmur, mutter, grumble, growl, clamor, make a fuss about, croak, grunt, maunder; deprecate; (disapprove).

Crosswords: Complain

Oh I can't complain Mom, I'm camping out with a convicted criminal. (Lilo & Stitch; writing credit: Chris Sanders)

Eh, can't complain. (Finding Nemo; writing credit: Andrew Stanton)

Can't complain, had his chance and in modern parlance, blew it. (The Wicker Man; writing credit: Anthony Shaffer)

Oh about the same, can't complain. How are you feeling today (Age-Old Friends; writing credit: Bob Larbey)

A knight must not complain of his wounds, though his bowels be dropping out (Man of La Mancha; writing credit: Dale Wasserman)

And maintain to leave blood stains so don't complain (Keep Their Headz Ringin; performing artist: Dr. Dre)

I might not have lost the time I complain about (Hold On; performing artist: En Vogue)

But you'll never hear me complain ("Friends in Low Places"; performing artist: Garth Brooks)

First one to complain (Break Stuff; performing artist: Limp Bizkit)

To complain there was no need (Coal Miner's Daughter; performing artist: Loretta Lynn)

The more you complain, the longer God makes you live. (references; author: unknown)

Some people complain because the roses have thorns. Others give thanks because the thorns have roses. (references; author: unknown)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Complain, Complain, Complain, Canadian Consumers (reference)

• Don't Complain, You Picked Him (reference)

• Growing Older: If I Can't Complain Now, When (reference)

• How to Complain to the U.N. Human Rights Treaty System (reference)

• I Hate to Complain, But... (reference)

  (more book examples)

Music

• Can't Complain (reference)

• I Can't Complain (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

We shall have, moreover, the same respite and in the same manner in rendering justice concerning the disafforestation or retention of those forests which Henry our father and Richard our brother afforested, and concerning the wardship of lands which are of the fief of another (namely, such wardships as we have hitherto had by reason of a fief which anyone held of us by knight's service), and concerning abbeys founded on other fiefs than our own, in which the lord of the fee claims to have right; and when we have returned, or if we desist from our expedition, we will immediately grant full justice to all who complain of such things. (reference)

He that had as good left for his improvement, as was already taken up, needed not complain, ought not to meddle with what was already improved by another's labour: if he did, it is plain he desired the benefit of another's pains, which he had no right to, and not the ground which God had given him in common with others to labour on, and whereof there was as good left, as that already possessed, and more than he knew what to do with, or his industry could reach to. (Second Treatise of Government)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Harriet did not consider herself as having any thing to complain of.

Her thought could be clearly seen, but she pronounced no name, she did not complain, she found no fault

He has gone to complain.

There are some who complain most energetically and inconsolably of any, because they are, as they say, doing their duty

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

The person with RLS may complain about trouble sleeping or daytime sleepiness. (references)

In some cases, the bed partner will complain about the person's leg movements and jerking during the night. (references)

Young people with this type of cancer generally complain of pain and swelling, which they sometimes blame on an injury. (references)

Business

Some end-users, however, complain that U.S. products are expensive. (references)

Some publishers complain that this is too many for such a small market. (references)

As a result, Argentine importers complain that U.S. firms lack a “vocation” to export. (references)

Children

Taiwan

Many organizations complain that it is difficult to find qualified workers with disabilities, and they appear to prefer to pay the fines involved. (references)

Bahamas

Advocates for persons with disabilities complain of widespread job discrimination and general apathy on the part of private employers and political leaders toward their need for training and equal opportunity. (references)

Civil Liberties

Jordan

Druze face official discrimination but do not complain of social discrimination. (references)

Economic History

Nepal

Firms complain that basic legal procedures are neither quick nor routine. (references)

Bulgaria

The Code extends what some complain are excessive protections for workers. (references)

Panama

Some investors complain of burdensome and excessive product registration requirements. (references)

Human Rights

Thailand

Police officials complain that low pay for members of police forces makes them susceptible to bribes. (references)

Armenia

The parents of such refugees are reluctant to complain because they fear reprisals against their sons. (references)

Portugal

Government officials are cooperative; however, most groups complain of slow investigations or remedial actions. (references)

Indigenous People

Sri Lanka

Some Veddas still complain that they are being pushed off of their land. (references)

Cameroon

Pygmies reportedly continued to complain that the forests they inhabit were being logged without fair compensation. (references)

Cameroon

Local Pygmies along the proposed path of the Chad-Cameroon pipeline continue to complain that they have not been compensated fairly for their land like their Bantu neighbors. (references)

Minorities

Iran

Azeris are well integrated into the Government and society, but complain of ethnic and linguistic discrimination. (references)

Armenia

Yezidi leaders continued to complain that police and local authorities subjected their community to discrimination. (references)

Pakistan

Young Ahmadis complain of difficulty in gaining admittance to good colleges and consequently having to go abroad for higher education. (references)

Political Economy

Gambia

Detainees, unlike long-term prisoners, continued to complain that they were tortured. (references)

CZECH REPUBLIC

U.S. firms also complain about the lack of consistency in the application of customs norms. (references)

PANAMA

Banana workers continue to complain of health hazards largely due to alleged exposure to pesticides. (references)

Political Rights

Yemen

Formal government authority is centralized in Sana'a; many citizens, especially in urban areas, complain about the inability of local and governorate entities to make policy or resource decisions. (references)

Trade

Syria

Producers often complain that it may take up to six months to import spare parts. (references)

China

Exporters complain that it takes months to obtain the rebates and amounts are often miscalculated. (references)

Women

Sweden

However, women complain about short sentences and the early release of offenders. (references)

Malaysia

Some rapists receive heavy punishments, including caning, but women's groups complain that some rapists receive inadequate punishments. (references)

Morocco

Although the Code of Personal Status was reformed in 1993, women's groups still complain of unequal treatment, particularly under the laws governing marriage, divorce, and inheritance. (references)

Worker Rights

Cyprus

Many women do not complain to authorities, fearing retribution from their employers. (references)

Botswana

The law provides that workers who complain about hazardous conditions may not be fired. (references)

Mexico

Individual employees or unions also may complain directly to inspectors or safety and health officials. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "complain": complain about ♦ complain about or of smth. ♦ complain about smth. ♦ complain against ♦ complain against smb. ♦ complain of ♦ complain of smth. ♦ complain to smb. ♦ complain without cause. Additional references.

Afrikaans

kla, beklag doen. (various references)

Albanian

shfaq pakënaqësi (pout), qahem (beef, bitch, cavil, crab, grouse, repine, yammer), ankohem (beef, bind, cavil, grouse, growl, moan, squawk, whine, yammer). (various references)

Arabic 

‏تذمر (clamor, clamour, complaint, crab, croak, groan, grouch, grouchiness, growl, grudge, grumble, murmur, mutter, nag, plain, repine, snort, whimper), ‏تشكي, ‏إحتج (allege, demur, deprecate, expostulate, grouse, nag, object, pick, protest, remonstrate, represent, take exception to, yell), ‏إتهم (accuse, arraign, bang, charge, delate, denounce, take to task, tax), ‏شكا (beef, fuss, gripe, grouch, grouse, grudge, grumble, pity, plain, repine, squeal, wail, whimper, yell). (various references)

Basque

kexatu (complain to, grumble to). (various references)

Bulgarian 

оплаквам се (bitch, crab, growl, grumble, lament, moan, quarrel, report, squeal, tick), подавам оплакване, подавам жалба, плача (blubber, cry, lament, pipe, sob, weep), изказвам недоволство. (various references)

Chinese 

抱怨 (grumble). (various references)

Czech

stýskat si, stìžovat si (grumble, remonstrate, yammer), naříkat (deplore, groan, mourn, wail, whimper). (various references)

Danish

klage (complaint, grievance, protest, remonstrance). (various references)

Dutch

klagen. (various references)

Esperanto

plendi. (various references)

Faeroese

kvarta, harmast, gremja seg. (various references)

Farsi 

نالیدن (Groan, Grunt, Whimper, Whine), غرولندکردن (Begrudge, Groin, Snarl, Squawk), شکایت کردن (Bitch). (various references)

Finnish

voivotella (moan, wail), valittaa (appeal, be sorry, be sorry about, bewail, condole, deplore, groan, lodge a complaint, moan, protest, regret), vaikeroida (groan, moan), nurkua (grumble), nurista (growl, grumble), nureksia (grumble). (various references)

French

se plaindre. (various references)

Frisian

kleie. (various references)

German

sich beklagen (gripe), Reklamation (complaint, query), klagen (bewail, complaints, cry, lament, lamentation, lamentations, moan, Sue, to bewail, ululate, ululation, wail, wailing, whine, worry), Beanstandung (complaint, objection). (various references)

Greek 

καταλογίζω (allow), παραπονιέμαι (beef, grumble about), παραπονούμαι (bellyache, repine at, squawk). (various references)

Hebrew 

לקבול (cry out against), ל�"לון (grumble, mutter, protest), ל�"תמרמר (bitch, grouse, grumble, resent), ל�"תלו� ן (grumble, lodge a complaint, repine), ל�"תאו� ן (grumble, protest), ל�"תרעם (murmur against, resent), �"תלו� ן. (various references)

Hungarian

panaszkodik (beef, bitch, crab, grizzle, lament, moan, repine, squawk, to bitch, to chew the fat, to chew the rag, to complain, to grizzle, to harrumph, to make moan, to natter, to rabbit, to rabbit on, to repine, to squeal). (various references)

Indonesian

menggerutu (grumble, murmur), mengeluh, gugah (arouse, grouse, grumble, waken), gerundel (pout), dumel (nag). (various references)

Irish

éigh. (various references)

Italian

lagnarsi (lament, moan, repine), lamentare (bewail, complain about, deplore, groan, lament, moan, regret). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

苦しがる (to complain of a pain, to suffer), 託つ (to complain about, to grumble, to make an excuse for), 掻き口説く (to complain, to pester), 愚痴る (to complain, to grumble), ほら貝 (abstractedly, baby, being stupefied, blankly, by ones and twos, clip joint, conch, crunch, dazedly, dimly, doing nothing, doll, dreamily, drip drip, dry and crumbling, faintly, flushingly, gradually, hazily, here and there, idling away time, in flames, indistinctly, it's getting late, little by little, munch, one after another, pimples, rip-off, slang for cunt, slightly, splash, spots, subdued, to be moved to tears, to be touched by, to become blurred, to become dim, to become sentimental, to complain, to grumble, to rip someone off, trumpet shell, unfair overcharging, vaguely, we must be getting off, whispering, with a splash), �'がる (to be bothered by coldness, to complain about the cold), とやかく言う (dozing, drowsily, dull, grated yam, slow, stupid, to complain, to say all kinds of things, tuna meat). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

くるしがる (to complain of a pain, to suffer), ぐちる (to complain, to grumble), ぼやく (to complain, to grumble), さむがる (to be bothered by coldness, to complain about the cold), かきくどく (to complain, to pester), か�"つ (ossification, to complain about, to grumble, to make an excuse for), とやかくいう (to complain, to say all kinds of things). (various references)

Korean 

넋두리하십시�". (various references)

Manx

accan (complaint, grumble, lamentation, lawsuit, moan). (various references)

Norwegian

klage (lament). (various references)

Occitan

pl� nher (se) (grumble). (various references)

Papiamen

keha. (various references)

Pig Latin

omplaincay.(various references)

Polish

skarżyć się. (various references)

Portuguese

criticar (animadvert, assail, attack, carp, censure, clapperclaw, comment, criticize, find fault, impeach, knock, land on, review, slash, vet), queixe-se, queixar-se (chide, crab, grumble, moan, quarrel, remonstrate, repine, whine), queixar‐se (lament, wail), lastimar‐se, lamentar-se (croon, groan, mope, natter, plain, repine, ululate, wail), lamentar‐se (lament, wail), descontentamento (discontent, discontentment, disgust, displeasure, dissatisfaction), acusar (accuse, acknowledge, blame, charge, impeach, incriminate, inculpate, indict, libel, make an accusation, own, reproach). (various references)

Romanian

tângui (bewail, cry, deplore, wail, weep), se plânge (elegize, grizzle, grudge, grunt, lament over, make complaint, repine), plânge (cry, grieve, hanker, lament, laugh on the wrong side of one's mouth, mourn, pipe, wail, weep), face o plângere. (various references)

Russian 

жаловаться (beef, bitch, kick, lament, natter, squawk). (various references)

Scottish

gearain. (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

kukati (cuckoo, gripe, lament, yammer), žaliti se (appeal, bitch, sound off). (various references)

Shona

-popota (to complain). (various references)

Spanish

quejarse (address a complaint, beef, bellyache, bitch, carry on, crab, gripe, groan, grouse, grumble, kick, moan, murmur, natter, niggle, quarrel, repine, sound off, squeal, take on, wail, whimper, yammer, yap). (various references)

Swedish

klaga (crab, grumble, kick, lament, squeal). (various references)

Turkish

yakınmak (beef, belly, bemoan, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grumble, kick, rail, repine), xíkayet etmek, söylenmek (be said, be told, chide, fret and fume, grouch, grouse, grumble, make a noise, murmur, repine, snarl, snarl at), sızlanmak (beef, belly, bemoan, gripe, grizzle, groan, grunt, kick, squeal, whimper, whine), ihbar etmek (blow the whistle on, delate, denounce, fink on, grass, grass on smb., inform, inform against, peach, peach against, peach on, put on the scent, rat, report, tell on smb., turn in, warn), dava açmak (bring a lawsuit, bring an action against, call, claim, commence, enter an action, file a claim, go to law, indict, litigate, make a plea, plead, prefer charges, present a case, press a charge, proceed, process, prosecute, Sue, take action), şikâyetçi olmak (cavil, kick up a stink, make a complaint about, raise a stink, repine), şikâyet etmek (belly, bemoan, bitch, delate, inform against, squawk, take action). (various references)

Turkmen 

zeяrenmek, юikaяat etmek, nalamak (fill, forge, groan, moan, stuff), kдяinmek. (various references)

Ukrainian

скаржитися (beef, belch, grumble, natter, pine, wail, yammer), подавати скаргу (bill, inform against, libel). (various references)

Welsh

cwyno (bewail, lament, whine), cwynfan (lament), achwyn (complaint, plaint). (various references)

Zulu

-khala. (various references)

querebatur, queri, queritur, queruntur. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations

Words beginning with "complain": complainant, complainants, complained, complainer, complainers, complaining, complainingly, complains, complaint, complaints. (additional references)

Words containing "complain": countercomplaint, countercomplaints, uncomplaining, uncomplainingly. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Complain" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Campalani, Coimhleun, Combalia, Comelin, commlink, compain, Compajina, compani, compla, complaien, complaim, complaine, complay, compliane, compliat, complin, Compulink, copain, coplain, cowplain. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: campion, complin, lampion, limacon, oilcamp.

-2 letters: alnico, anomic, camion, caplin, copalm, lipoma, manioc, oilcan, oilman.

-3 letters: aloin, amino, amnic, amnio, campi, campo, capon, claim, clamp, clomp, colin, comal, copal, lapin, liman, limpa, linac, macon, malic, manic, milpa, nicol, nopal, panic, piano, pical, plain, plica.

-4 letters: amin, anil, cain, calm, calo, camp, capo, ciao, cion.

+1 letter: complains, complaint, compliant, policeman.

+2 letters: complained, complainer, complaints, compliance, compliancy.

+3 letters: amylopectin, compilation, complainant, complainers, complaining, complaisant, compliances, compliantly, endoplasmic, implication, incompliant, palindromic, policewoman, proclaiming, scopolamine, toponymical.

+4 letters: amylopectins, compellation, compilations, complainants, complaisance, complexation, complexional, compliancies, complicating, complication, componential, cosmopolitan, implications, incomparable, incomparably, incompatible, incompatibly, incomputable, incomputably, kleptomaniac, noncompliant, nonempirical, nonmunicipal, philharmonic, phonemically, pinealectomy, proclamation, pyromaniacal, scopolamines, undiplomatic.