Complain
verb
To express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something.
The customers complained about the poor service.
Often appears as...
- complain about
- complain to
verb
To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.
The victim complained to the police about the theft.
Often appears as...
- complain against
- complain to
verb
To state that you are suffering from a pain or illness.
He is complaining of a headache.
Often appears as...
- complain of
- complain about
verb
To express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something.
The customers complained about the poor service.
Often appears as...
- complain about
- complain to
verb
To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.
The victim complained to the police about the theft.
Often appears as...
- complain against
- complain to
verb
To state that you are suffering from a pain or illness.
He is complaining of a headache.
Often appears as...
- complain of
- complain about
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Express Discontent
Use 'complain' to express unhappiness or dissatisfaction with a service or situation.
She complained about the cold room at the hotel.
Pro Tip 2/3Casual Expression
'Complain' is casual, suitable for everyday conversation when discussing minor annoyances.
He always complains about the morning traffic.
Pro Tip 3/3Polite Complaints
To be polite, soften your complaint with phrases like 'I’m sorry to complain, but...'.
I’m sorry to complain, but this coffee is cold.
Pro Tip 1/3Express Discontent
Use 'complain' to express unhappiness or dissatisfaction with a service or situation.
She complained about the cold room at the hotel.
Pro Tip 2/3Casual Expression
'Complain' is casual, suitable for everyday conversation when discussing minor annoyances.
He always complains about the morning traffic.
Pro Tip 3/3Polite Complaints
To be polite, soften your complaint with phrases like 'I’m sorry to complain, but...'.
I’m sorry to complain, but this coffee is cold.
Pro Tip 1/3Express Discontent
Use 'complain' to express unhappiness or dissatisfaction with a service or situation.
She complained about the cold room at the hotel.
Pro Tip 2/3Casual Expression
'Complain' is casual, suitable for everyday conversation when discussing minor annoyances.
He always complains about the morning traffic.
Pro Tip 3/3Polite Complaints
To be polite, soften your complaint with phrases like 'I’m sorry to complain, but...'.
I’m sorry to complain, but this coffee is cold.
Compare with
bemoangrievancegrumblelamentmoanmutterobjectprotestorwhine
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Video examples
Jonathan Foley: The...
than all the areas we complain about, our suburban sprawl and our cities where we mostly live. Half of humanity lives in cities today, but a 60-times-larger area is used to grow food. So this is an amazing kind of result, and it really shocked us when we looked at that. So we're using an enormous amount of land for agriculture,
Video examples
Snow Leopards: Ghosts in...
the shadow of the snow leopards that inhabit these mountains here so why do we use the camera traps we basically don't know how many smaller puts there are right and the camera traps are our eyes in the mountains which help us count how many smaller puts there are and they don't complain when they're out in the mountains
Video examples
How heavy is air? - Dan...
But differences in air pressure do more than just let us complain about the weather; they're the very reason we're alive. We breathe by lowering the pressure in our lungs, allowing air to rush in. So the next time you take a deep breath, think of the unfathomable number of air molecules you're commanding to move.
Video examples
Face-to-Face with a...
it's time for you to get in the water yeah and I said and I and he's just big strong burly swede and very strong guy and you know he's a Thorat ativ individual and I was like you know forget that except I probably used a different word starting with the letter F and he's like look at you complain
Video examples
How to speak so that...
Well, this is the national art of the U.K. It's our national sport. We complain about the weather, sport, about politics, about everything, but actually, complaining is viral misery. It's not spreading sunshine and lightness in the world. Excuses. We've all met this guy.
Video examples
Srdja Popovic: How to...
Are they going to become the world wave? Are they going to find their skills, their enthusiasm, and their strategy to find what they really want and push for the reform, or will they just stay complaining about the endless list of the things they hate?
Video examples
Your brain on video...
worldwide, right? Would any of you complain if this was the case about doing linear algebra? So what we are asking in the lab is, how can we leverage that power? Now I want to step back a bit. I know most of you have had the experience of coming back
Video examples
An ode to the millennial...
we keep complaining about this world but who's going to change it I mean you keep criticizing my generation forgetting who raised it you either accept us or you reject us but there's no way you're ever going to deliver that message the way you would
Video examples
A guerilla gardener in...
where it's composed of gardeners from all walks of life, from all over the city, and it's completely volunteer, and everything we do is free. And the garden, it was beautiful. And then somebody complained.
Video examples
Kailash Satyarthi: How...
I saw that dozens of children were arriving; they were being trafficked by someone. I stopped them, those people. I complained to the police. So the policemen, instead of helping me,
Video examples
Jonathan Foley: The...
than all the areas we complain about, our suburban sprawl and our cities where we mostly live. Half of humanity lives in cities today, but a 60-times-larger area is used to grow food. So this is an amazing kind of result, and it really shocked us when we looked at that. So we're using an enormous amount of land for agriculture,
Video examples
Snow Leopards: Ghosts in...
the shadow of the snow leopards that inhabit these mountains here so why do we use the camera traps we basically don't know how many smaller puts there are right and the camera traps are our eyes in the mountains which help us count how many smaller puts there are and they don't complain when they're out in the mountains
Video examples
How heavy is air? - Dan...
But differences in air pressure do more than just let us complain about the weather; they're the very reason we're alive. We breathe by lowering the pressure in our lungs, allowing air to rush in. So the next time you take a deep breath, think of the unfathomable number of air molecules you're commanding to move.
Video examples
Face-to-Face with a...
it's time for you to get in the water yeah and I said and I and he's just big strong burly swede and very strong guy and you know he's a Thorat ativ individual and I was like you know forget that except I probably used a different word starting with the letter F and he's like look at you complain
Video examples
How to speak so that...
Well, this is the national art of the U.K. It's our national sport. We complain about the weather, sport, about politics, about everything, but actually, complaining is viral misery. It's not spreading sunshine and lightness in the world. Excuses. We've all met this guy.
Video examples
Srdja Popovic: How to...
Are they going to become the world wave? Are they going to find their skills, their enthusiasm, and their strategy to find what they really want and push for the reform, or will they just stay complaining about the endless list of the things they hate?
Video examples
Your brain on video...
worldwide, right? Would any of you complain if this was the case about doing linear algebra? So what we are asking in the lab is, how can we leverage that power? Now I want to step back a bit. I know most of you have had the experience of coming back
Video examples
An ode to the millennial...
we keep complaining about this world but who's going to change it I mean you keep criticizing my generation forgetting who raised it you either accept us or you reject us but there's no way you're ever going to deliver that message the way you would
Video examples
A guerilla gardener in...
where it's composed of gardeners from all walks of life, from all over the city, and it's completely volunteer, and everything we do is free. And the garden, it was beautiful. And then somebody complained.
Video examples
Kailash Satyarthi: How...
I saw that dozens of children were arriving; they were being trafficked by someone. I stopped them, those people. I complained to the police. So the policemen, instead of helping me,
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Jeff Bezos
American Businessman
What we need to do is always lean into the future; when the world changes around you and when it changes against you - what used to be a tail wind is now a head wind - you have to lean into that and figure out what to do because complaining isn't a strategy.
Quote examples
Kurt Cobain
American Singer
I really haven't had that exciting of a life. There are a lot of things I wish I would have done, instead of just sitting around and complaining about having a boring life. So I pretty much like to make it up. I'd rather tell a story about somebody else.
Quote examples
Oliver Kahn
German Athlete
Complaining and arguing will not help. We are fully concentrating on the game against the Czechs.
Quote examples
Antoine Rivarol
French Journalist
Man spends his life in reasoning on the past, in complaining of the present, in fearing future.
Quote examples
Jack Nicholson
American Actor
I would never complain about my life, even though I really would like to have a mate.
Quote examples
Trudie Styler
English Actress
I don't feel I want to complain about anything that's said about me.
Quote examples
Viola Davis
American Actress
I live a fantastic life. Why should I complain about awards?
Quote examples
George Berkeley
Irish Philosopher
We have first raised a dust and then complain we cannot see.
Quote examples
Lily Tomlin
American Actress
Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.
Quote examples
Samuel Eto'o
Cameroonian Athlete
I have a great life, and I can't really complain.
Quote examples
Jeff Bezos
American Businessman
What we need to do is always lean into the future; when the world changes around you and when it changes against you - what used to be a tail wind is now a head wind - you have to lean into that and figure out what to do because complaining isn't a strategy.
Quote examples
Kurt Cobain
American Singer
I really haven't had that exciting of a life. There are a lot of things I wish I would have done, instead of just sitting around and complaining about having a boring life. So I pretty much like to make it up. I'd rather tell a story about somebody else.
Quote examples
Oliver Kahn
German Athlete
Complaining and arguing will not help. We are fully concentrating on the game against the Czechs.
Quote examples
Antoine Rivarol
French Journalist
Man spends his life in reasoning on the past, in complaining of the present, in fearing future.
Quote examples
Jack Nicholson
American Actor
I would never complain about my life, even though I really would like to have a mate.
Quote examples
Trudie Styler
English Actress
I don't feel I want to complain about anything that's said about me.
Quote examples
Viola Davis
American Actress
I live a fantastic life. Why should I complain about awards?
Quote examples
George Berkeley
Irish Philosopher
We have first raised a dust and then complain we cannot see.
Quote examples
Lily Tomlin
American Actress
Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.
Quote examples
Samuel Eto'o
Cameroonian Athlete
I have a great life, and I can't really complain.
Example 1 of 10
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