complain
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Related to complain: complaint
com·plain
(kəm-plān′)intr.v. com·plained, com·plain·ing, com·plains
1. To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
2. To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge; file a complaint.
[Middle English compleinen, from Old French complaindre, complaign-, from Vulgar Latin *complangere : Latin com-, intensive pref.; see com- + Latin plangere, to lament; see plāk- in Indo-European roots.]
com·plain′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
complain
(kəmˈpleɪn)vb (intr)
1. to express resentment, displeasure, etc, esp habitually; grumble
2. (foll by of) to state the presence of pain, illness, etc, esp in the hope of sympathy: she complained of a headache.
[C14: from Old French complaindre, from Vulgar Latin complangere (unattested), from Latin com- (intensive) + plangere to bewail]
comˈplainer n
comˈplainingly adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
com•plain
(kəmˈpleɪn)v.i.
1. to express dissatisfaction, resentment, pain, grief, etc.; find fault.
2. to make a formal accusation: You must complain to the police about this vandalism.
[1350–1400; Middle English compleinen < Anglo-French compleign-, s. of compleindre, Old French complaindre < Vulgar Latin *complangere= Latin com- com- + plangere to lament; see plaint]
com•plain′a•ble, adj.
com•plain′er, n.
com•plain′ing•ly, adv.
syn: complain, grumble, whine are terms for expressing dissatisfaction or discomfort. To complain is to protest against or lament a condition or wrong: to complain about high prices. To grumble is to utter surly, ill-natured complaints half to oneself: to grumble about the service. To whine is to complain in a meanspirited, objectionable way, using a nasal tone; it often suggests persistence: to whine like a spoiled child.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
complain
1. 'complain about'
If you complain about something, you say that it is wrong or unsatisfactory.
Mothers complained about the lack of play space.
She never complains about the weather.
Be Careful!
Don't use 'over' or 'on' after complain. Don't say, for example, 'Mothers complained over the lack of play space' or 'She never complains on the weather'.
2. 'complain of'
If you complain of a pain, you say that you have it.
He complained of a headache.
Many patients complain of a lack of energy.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
complain
Past participle: complained
Gerund: complaining
| Imperative |
|---|
| complain |
| complain |
| Present |
|---|
| I complain |
| you complain |
| he/she/it complains |
| we complain |
| you complain |
| they complain |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I complained |
| you complained |
| he/she/it complained |
| we complained |
| you complained |
| they complained |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am complaining |
| you are complaining |
| he/she/it is complaining |
| we are complaining |
| you are complaining |
| they are complaining |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have complained |
| you have complained |
| he/she/it has complained |
| we have complained |
| you have complained |
| they have complained |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was complaining |
| you were complaining |
| he/she/it was complaining |
| we were complaining |
| you were complaining |
| they were complaining |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had complained |
| you had complained |
| he/she/it had complained |
| we had complained |
| you had complained |
| they had complained |
| Future |
|---|
| I will complain |
| you will complain |
| he/she/it will complain |
| we will complain |
| you will complain |
| they will complain |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have complained |
| you will have complained |
| he/she/it will have complained |
| we will have complained |
| you will have complained |
| they will have complained |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be complaining |
| you will be complaining |
| he/she/it will be complaining |
| we will be complaining |
| you will be complaining |
| they will be complaining |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been complaining |
| you have been complaining |
| he/she/it has been complaining |
| we have been complaining |
| you have been complaining |
| they have been complaining |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been complaining |
| you will have been complaining |
| he/she/it will have been complaining |
| we will have been complaining |
| you will have been complaining |
| they will have been complaining |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been complaining |
| you had been complaining |
| he/she/it had been complaining |
| we had been complaining |
| you had been complaining |
| they had been complaining |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would complain |
| you would complain |
| he/she/it would complain |
| we would complain |
| you would complain |
| they would complain |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have complained |
| you would have complained |
| he/she/it would have complained |
| we would have complained |
| you would have complained |
| they would have complained |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Verb 1. complain - express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about"
hen-peck, nag, peck - bother persistently with trivial complaints; "She nags her husband all day long"
backbite - say mean things
gnarl, grumble, murmur, mutter, croak - make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath; "she grumbles when she feels overworked"
grouch, grumble, scold - show one's unhappiness or critical attitude; "He scolded about anything that he thought was wrong"; "We grumbled about the increased work load"
protest - utter words of protest
repine - express discontent
bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament - regret strongly; "I deplore this hostile action"; "we lamented the loss of benefits"
report - complain about; make a charge against; "I reported her to the supervisor"
bleat - talk whiningly
2. complain - make a formal accusation; bring a formal charge; "The plaintiff's lawyer complained that he defendant had physically abused his client"
charge - make an accusatory claim; "The defense attorney charged that the jurors were biased"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
complain
verb find fault, moan, grumble, whinge (informal), beef (slang), carp, fuss, bitch (slang), groan, grieve, lament, whine, growl, deplore, grouse, gripe (informal), bemoan, bleat, put the boot in (slang), bewail, kick up a fuss (informal), grouch (informal), bellyache (slang), kvetch (U.S. slang) She's always complaining about her husband's laziness.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
complain
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
اشتكىتذمريَتَذَمَّر، يَتَشَكّىيَشْكو يَشْكو مِن
stěžovat sistěžovat/naříkat si na
klageklage overbeklage sig over
valittaa
žaliti se
elpanaszolpanaszkodik
kvartakvarta, kveina
とやかく言うぶつぶつ言うぼやく不平を言う文句する
불평하다
nusiskundimasnusiskųstiskundasskųstis
iesniegt sūdzībusūdzētiesžēloties
pritožiti se
klaga
ร้องทุกข์
şikâyet etmekyakınmak
phàn nàn
complain
[kəmˈpleɪn] VI1. (= grumble) → quejarse (about, of, to de a) to complain that → quejarse de que
they complained to the neighbours → se quejaron a los vecinos
I can't complain → yo no me quejo
they complained to the neighbours → se quejaron a los vecinos
I can't complain → yo no me quejo
2. (= make a formal complaint) → reclamar (about, to por ante) we're going to complain to the manager → vamos a reclamar al director
you should complain to the police → tendrías que denunciarlo a la policía
you should complain to the police → tendrías que denunciarlo a la policía
3. (Med) to complain of → quejarse de
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
complain
[kəmˈpleɪn] vi → se plaindreto complain about sb/sth → se plaindre de qn/qch
We complained about the noise → Nous nous sommes plaints du bruit.
to complain to sb → se plaindre à qn
I'm going to complain to the manager → Je vais me plaindre au directeur.
to complain to sb about sth → se plaindre à qn de qch
The neighbours complained to the police about the noise → Les voisins se sont plaints du bruit à la police.
complain of
vt fus [+ pain] → se plaindre de Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
complain
vi → sich beklagen, klagen (→ about über +acc); (= to make a formal complaint) → sich beschweren, Beschwerde einlegen (form) (→ about über +acc, → to bei); to complain that ... → sich darüber beklagen/beschweren, dass ...; (I) can’t complain (inf) → ich kann nicht klagen (inf); stop complaining! → beklag dich nicht dauernd!; to complain of something → über etw (acc) → klagen ; to complain of not having enough time → über Zeitmangel klagen ; she’s always complaining → sie muss sich immer beklagen, sie hat immer etwas zu klagen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
complain
[kəmˈpleɪn] vi to complain (to sb about sth) → lamentarsi (con qn di qc), lagnarsi (con qn di qc); (make a formal complaint) → fare un reclamo (a qn per qc), reclamare (con qn per qc)complain of vi + prep → lamentarsi di (Med) → accusare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
complain
(kəmˈplein) verb1. to state one's displeasure, dissatisfaction etc. I'm going to complain to the police about the noise. kla, klae, klaag يَتَذَمَّر، يَتَشَكّى изказвам недоволство queixar-se stěžovat si sich beklagen klage διαμαρτύρομαι quejarse kaebama گله کردن؛ شکوه کردن valittaa se plaindre לְהִתלוֹנֵן शिकायत करना tužiti se, žaliti se panaszkodik mengadu kvarta reclamare 不平を言う 불평하다 skųstis sūdzēties; iesniegt sūdzību mengadu klagen klage, beklage seg, påtale, reklamere narzekać شكايت كول، عارض كېدل، ماڼى جن كېدل، ګيله من كېدل queixar-se a se plânge подавать жалобу sťažovať sa pritožiti se žaliti se klaga ร้องทุกข์ şikâyet etmek 抱怨 подавати скаргу شکایت کرنا than phiền 抱怨
2. (with of) to state that one has (pain, discomfort etc). He's complaining of difficulty in breathing. kla oor يَشْكو مِن оплаквам се queixar-se stěžovat/naříkat si na klagen klage over; beklage sig over παραπονιέμαι quejarse de kurtma نالیدن؛ اظهار ناراحتی کردن valittaa se plaindre לְהִתלוֹנֵן עַל दुखड़ा रोना potužiti se elpanaszol mengeluh kvarta, kveina lamentarsi 訴える (불편 등을) 호소하다 skųstis, nusiskųsti žēloties; sūdzēties merungut klagen klage over skarżyć się شکایت کول queixar-se a se plânge, a se văita (de) жаловаться nariekať (na) pritoževati se žaliti se na klaga บ่น şikâyet etmek 主訴,自己說(病痛等) скаржитися شکایات کا بیان دینا kể lại một sự đau đớn 说自己有病痛
comˈplaint noun1. (a statement of one's) dissatisfaction. The customer made a complaint about the lack of hygiene in the food shop. klag, klagte تَذَمُّر، شَكْوى оплакване queixa stížnost die Klage klage; reklamation παράπονο, καταγγελία queja kaebus گله؛ شکایت valitus plainte תלונה शिकायत žalba, prigovor, pritužba panasz(kodás) keluhan kvörtun, kæra protesta, reclamo 苦情 불평 skundas, nusiskundimas sūdzība aduan klacht klage, anke, reklamasjon skarga ګله queixa reclamaţie жалоба sťažnosť pritožba žalba klagomål ความไม่พอใจ şikâyet 抱怨 скарга; незадоволення شکایت، شکوہ sự than phiền 抱怨
2. a sickness, disease, disorder etc. He's always suffering from some complaint or other. klag, klagte, siekte; ongemak مَرَض болест enfermidade potíž, nevolnost die Beschwerde sygdom; lidelse αρρώστια, πάθηση enfermedad, achaque, dolencia vaevus بیماری؛ ناراحتی sairaus maladie מחלה बीमारी bolest baj penyakit kvilli disturbo, malattia 病気 불만의 대상 negalavimas kaite; slimība penyakit klacht sykdom, lidelse dolegliwość خوشنه achaque boală недуг; недовольство ťažkosť bolezen, nadloga, motnja smetnja åkomma, ont ความเจ็บป่วย hastalık, rahatsızlık 疾病 хвороба, біль تکلیف ، مرض sự khó ở 疾病
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
complain
→ يَشْكو stěžovat si klage beklagen (sich) παραπονιέμαι quejarse valittaa se plaindre žaliti se reclamare 不平を言う 불평하다 klagen klage naskarżyć się reclamar жаловаться klaga ร้องทุกข์ yakınmak phàn nàn 抱怨Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
complain
v. quejarse, lamentarse.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
- I want to complain about the service → أُريدُ أَنْ أُقَدِّمُ شَكْوى بِشَأْنِ الـخِدْمَةِ → Chci podat stížnost ohledně téhle služby → Jeg vil gerne klage over betjeningen → Ich möchte mich über den Service beschweren → Θέλω να παραπονεθώ για την εξυπηρέτηση → Quiero presentar una queja sobre el servicio → Haluan valittaa palvelusta → Je voudrais faire une réclamation au sujet du service → Želim se požaliti na uslugu → Vorrei sporgere un reclamo sul servizio → 私はサービスについて苦情があります → 서비스에 대해 항의하고 싶어요 → Ik wil over de service klagen → Jeg må klage på servicen → Chcę złożyć skargę na usługi → Eu quero reclamar sobre o serviço → Я хочу пожаловаться на обслуживание → Jag vill klaga på servicen → ฉันอยากร้องเรียนเกี่ยวกับการบริการ → Servisten şikayetçiyim → Tôi muốn khiếu nại về dịch vụ này → 我对你们的服务有意见
- Where can I make a complaint? (US)
Who can I complain to? (UK) → لـِمَنْ يـُمْكِنُني أَنْ أُقَدِّمُ شَكْوى → Komu si můžu stěžovat? → Hvem kan jeg klage til? → Bei wem kann ich mich beschweren? → Σε ποιον μπορώ να υποβάλλω τα παράπονά μου; → ¿A quién debo reclamar? → Kenelle voin valittaa? → Qui est chargé des réclamations ? → Kome se mogu požaliti? → A chi posso rivolgermi per un reclamo? → 誰に苦情を言えばいいのですか? → 항의는 누구에게 하나요? → Bij wie kan ik een klacht indienen? → Hvem kan jeg klage til? → Do kogo mam skierować skargę? → Para quem eu posso reclamar? → Кому я могу пожаловаться? → Vem kan jag klaga till? → ฉันจะร้องเรียนได้กับใคร? → Kime şikayet edebilirim? → Tôi có thể khiếu nại với ai? → 我可以向谁投诉?
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
complain
vi quejarseEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.