Meaning & use
complaining
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“complaining” is a form of “complain”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Saying that you are unhappy or annoyed about something.
Grammar: The -ing form of "complain"; it is used after be or another verb, and it does not take a direct object: they are complaining about the noise.
Patterns
- be complaining about something
- be complaining to someone
- keep complaining
The neighbors are complaining about the loud music again.
She was complaining to the manager that her order never arrived.
Stop complaining and tell me what you actually need.
noununcountable
The act of saying you are unhappy or annoyed, often repeatedly.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun with no article: constant complaining, a lot of complaining.
Patterns
- constant complaining
- a lot of complaining
- tired of someone's complaining
There has been a lot of complaining since the new schedule started.
His constant complaining about the food made dinner unpleasant for everyone.
Word forms
| third person singular | complains |
|---|---|
| past tense | complained |
| past participle | complained |
| -ing form | complaining |
Common combinations
- complaining about the weather
- The staff spent the whole break complaining about the weather.
- keep complaining
- If you keep complaining, they may finally fix the problem.
- constant complaining
- Her constant complaining wore everyone down.
- stop complaining
- He told the children to stop complaining and eat their dinner.
- complain to the manager
- The customer decided to complain to the manager in person.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grumbling
- Suggests low, ongoing dissatisfaction rather than a direct statement of a problem; it is milder and less formal than complaining.
- moaning
- Informal and often disapproving, implying annoying, repeated complaints; complaining is the neutral everyday choice.
- protesting
- Used when people formally or publicly object to something; it is stronger and more organized than complaining.
Opposites
Word family
- complain verb
- The base verb meaning to say you are unhappy about something.
- complaint noun
- A statement that something is wrong, or a formal report of a problem.
- complainant noun
- A person who makes a formal complaint, especially in law.
Commonly confused: complaining or complimenting?
complaining vs complimenting
Complimenting means praising someone; complaining is the opposite, so a missing "i" can change the meaning completely.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses "complaining" correctly.
Choose one answer.
"Complain about something" is the standard pattern, and "are complaining" forms the present continuous correctly. Option 2 is tempting but drops the verb "is", and option 3 uses "to" with the thing rather than the person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “complaining”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.