Meaning & use
complain
Last updated
Meanings
verbintransitive
To say that you are unhappy or annoyed about something or someone.
Grammar: No direct object; use about or to: complain about the noise, complain to the manager.
Patterns
- complain about something
- complain to someone
- complain that something is wrong
Guests complained about the cold soup.
She complained to the manager that nobody had cleaned the room.
Stop complaining and help me carry these boxes.
verbintransitiveformal
To say that you have a pain or illness, or to make a formal report of a problem.
Grammar: In this sense it is followed by of: complain of a headache.
Patterns
- complain of something
The patient complained of chest pains.
Several students complained of dizziness after the lesson.
Word forms
| third person singular | complains |
|---|---|
| past tense | complained |
| past participle | complained |
| -ing form | complaining |
Common combinations
- complain about the noise
- The neighbors complained about the noise.
- complain bitterly
- He complained bitterly about the service.
- complain to the manager
- She decided to complain to the manager.
- complain of pain
- The child complained of a stomachache.
- nothing to complain about
- The meal was fine, so there was nothing to complain about.
- constantly complain
- My brother constantly complains about his commute.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grumble
- Grumble means to complain quietly in a low-level, grouchy way, usually without taking action.
- moan
- Moan is informal and British, and sounds more tiresome and repetitive than complain.
- protest
- Protest is a stronger, more public way of objecting, often as a group.
- whine
- Whine is disapproving and suggests childish, irritating complaining over small things.
Opposites
Word family
- complaint noun
- a statement of dissatisfaction, or an illness
- complainer noun
- a person who complains a lot
- complainant noun
- a person who makes a formal complaint
- complaining adjective
- expressing discontent
Commonly confused: complain or explain? complain or compliment?
complain vs explain
Explain means to make something clear, while complain means to say you are unhappy; the spelling is similar.
complain vs compliment
A compliment is praise, so it is the opposite kind of speech from a complaint.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Complain takes about before the thing you are unhappy with. For, no preposition, and the wrong word order are not standard.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “complain”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.