to complain
44
3.7
- verb
- /kəmˈpleɪn/
- Formal
:
denunciar
- She complained to their government regulators.
- complain to the authorities
- have standing to complain
Examples
-
I called the agency that sent her to me and complained bitterly, but I got no satisfaction.
-
Southern politicians complained publicly in the early 1950s that television was undermining segregation," observed historian John Egerton.
Academic text (2007) -
Neighbor came over to complain about the noise.
-
"If he ever calls me again, I'll complain to the warden."
Fiction book (1997) -
According to Lopez, they complained about his writing to the court.
Academic text (2008) -
The Mogul was allied with the king, and he complained to the British government.
Fiction book (1997) -
Federal judges have openly complained that the guidelines put them in a virtual straitjacket.
Academic text (2007) -
In 1873, Cherokee freedmen complained to missionaries that the asylum failed to serve their children.
Academic text (2010) -
He decided to complain to the authorities about the unfair treatment he received.
-
After several attempts to resolve the issue, she finally complained to the manager about the poor service.
Synonyms
∞
2.7
Say that someone did something wrong or illegal
∞
3.7
To take someone to court to ask for money
35
4.6
To start legal action by giving a complaint to a court
Antonyms
Compounds
- Informal
A person who often says they are unhappy and finds fault with many small things
How Formal
354
6.1
- Formal
237
8.0
- Formal
44
3.7
- Literature
497
5.3
∞
2.7
Surface Forms
Etymology
Complain in its legal sense comes from the same origin as the word complaint, which was a formal 'cry' about a wrong, so to complain legally is to make an official charge.