complain
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
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.
Pronunciation [edit]
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Audio (US) (file)
- Rhymes: -eɪn
Verb [edit]
complain (third-person singular simple present complains, present participle complaining, simple past and past participle complained)
- (intransitive) To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
- Joe was always complaining about the noise made by his neighbours.
- (intransitive) To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.
- They've complained about me to the police again.
Synonyms [edit]
Translations [edit]
to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment
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to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
External links [edit]
- complain in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- complain in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
