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. Ernest Renan:

   When people complain of life, it is almost always because they have asked impossible things of it.

2. Tamir Shlomo:

   It's paradise for the Arabs, they are getting equality. They don't need to complain about anything.

3. Michelle Meyer:

   Inventory-to-sales ratios are at historic lows, record numbers of small businesses complain of tight inventories, ports are congested, and shortages of semiconductor chips and new/used cars are driving prices higher, we expect goods inflation to soften by year end as demand levels off and production rebounds, but wages may continue to climb.

4. Dave Karpf:

   There is no set of things Brian Schatz can do to get Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz not to complain about this, because it is strategically useful to complain about it.

5. Thomas Melia:

   People in a free society are allowed to complain about their leaders and their performances.