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. William Becker:

   Or they would complain about the cost and the extent to which they would have to implement the program in the timeframe established and they would probably complain that it's not necessary.

2. Dale Carnegie:

   Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do.

3. Tori Amos:

   Our generation has an incredible amount of realism, yet at the same time it loves to complain and not really change because if it does change then it won't have anything to complain about.

4. County Clerk Vicki Edelman:

   They really can’t complain if they did not participate in the voting. I would think they wouldn’t feel like they should complain, and from what I’m hearing on the news, a lot of those protesters did not vote.

5. G. K. Chesterton:

   The poor complain that they are governed badly. The rich complain that they are governed at all.