Synonyms for complain
kəmˈpleɪncom·plain

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:2.0 / 1 vote

1. complainverb

   Synonyms:
   kvetch, whinge, grouse, moan, whine, bitch, gripe, beef, grumble, grump

2. complainverb

   To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.

   Joe was always complaining about the noise made by his neighbours.

   Synonyms:
   bitch, kvetch, grump, grumble, whinge, moan, gripe, grouse, whine, beef

3. complainverb

   To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.

   They've complained about me to the police again.

   Synonyms:
   kvetch, grumble, whinge, gripe, whine, moan, beef, bitch, grouse, grump

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.5 / 4 votes

1. complain

   To complain is to give utterance to dissatisfaction or objection, express a sense of wrong or ill treatment. One complains of a real or assumed grievance; he may murmur through mere peevishness or ill temper; he repines, with vain distress, at the irrevocable or the inevitable. Complaining is by speech or writing; murmuring is commonly said of half-repressed utterance; repining of the mental act alone. One may complain of an offense to the offender or to others; he remonstrates with the offender only. Complain has a formal and legal meaning, which the other words have not, signifying to make a formal accusation, present a specific charge; the same is true of the noun complaint.

   Synonyms:
   croak, find fault, growl, grumble, grunt, murmur, remonstrate, repine

   Antonyms:
   applaud, approve, commend, eulogize, laud, praise

   Preposition:
   Complain of a thing to a person; of one person to another, of or against a person for an act; to an officer; before the court; about a thing.

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. complain, kick, plain, sound off, quetch, kvetchverb

   express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

   "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about"

   Synonyms:
   recoil, plain, kvetch, quetch, give up, kick, strike up, kick back, animadvert, speak out, sound off, opine, speak up

   Antonyms:
   chirk up, cheer up, cheer

2. complainverb

   make a formal accusation; bring a formal charge

   "The plaintiff's lawyer complained that he defendant had physically abused his client"

   Synonyms:
   kick, kvetch, plain, sound off, quetch

   Antonyms:
   cheer, chirk up, cheer up

Matched Categories

1. • Charge

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. complainverb

   Synonyms:
   murmur, lament, bewail, grumble, croak, find fault

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. complainverb

   Synonyms:
   murmur, repine, grumble, whine, croak

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "complain":

   complaint, bemoan, moan, protest

How to pronounce complain?

How to say complain in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use complain in a sentence?

1. Paul Saffo:

   While Americans claim to care about privacy, they care even more about convenience. Americans have happily sacrificed their privacy over the last several decades, and will continue to do so, even as they complain, privacy has already shifted from being a right to a good that is purchased.

2. Marc Benioff:

   This is one half of one percent, it's immaterial... these numbers are so small, they mean nothing to these companies, for them to squawk over or to complain and say that they won't give $ 10 million or $ 20 million to the number one issue in the city, really calls into question their motives for being in business at all.

3. Ricardo Gareca:

   Peru did as much as possible to win the game and score. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to do that, i have nothing to say to my players. They did their best. I really can't complain. I think in general terms the result doesn't really reflect what happened on the pitch. But football is all about effectiveness.

4. The Post:

   All 133 Virginia public school division superintendents have urged Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to scrap the ‘tip line’ set up to let parents complain about teachers and principals and have asked him to stop his campaign against the teaching of 'divisive' content in schools.

5. Douglas Bazi:

   I never talked about my story for many reasons but, first, because this is the cost [of being] a Christian in Iraq, second because, as a priest, we are used to persecution. When we get in the seminarythey tell us: ‘You don’t know, maybe youwill be killed one day.’ Third,I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. Who I am to complain?