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. I Ching:

   No plain not followed by a slope. No going not followed by a return. He who remains persevering in danger is without blame. Do not complain about this truth Enjoy the good fortune you still possess.

2. Lucinda Williams:

   I don't mean to complain. I wouldn't trade my life for anything.

3. Mark Harmon:

   It’s hard to walk through airports even in the most out-of-the-way places without being surrounded by people who love the show — and that’s nothing to complain about, i’ve done TV shows where I walk through airports apologizing.

4. Benjamin Disraeli:

   Never complain and never explain.

5. Chuck Peruto:

   They expired from what he called ‘punishments,’ he expected them to be completely obedient and carry his babies in a basement of a row house where he had no need to hear them scream or complain. He administered these ‘punishments’ through beatings and electric shocks. He would call them weak. But his intention wasn’t to kill them. He wanted to train them to have a perfect race in his basement. He wanted to have babies and raise them with no other contact from the outside world. That’s what he kept repeating during their captivity.