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Glite Dictionary
spate of complaints

spate of complaints

5.2
A sudden large number of complaints at the same time
  • noun
translation icon : oleada de quejas
  • There was a spate of complaints following the introduction of the new policy.

Examples

  • The company received a spate of complaints after releasing the faulty product.

  • The council received a spate of complaints from local residents.

  • A spate of complaints flooded the city council's office last week.

  • There has been a spate of complaints about the new policy.

  • After receiving a spate of complaints from unhappy customers, the restaurant decided to change its menu.

  • The city council faced a spate of complaints regarding the increase in traffic congestion after the new mall opened.

  • Following a spate of complaints about noise levels, the council scheduled a public meeting to address residents' concerns.

Synonyms

wave of criticism
vsspate of complaints
1 3.3

A sudden large amount of criticism aimed at someone or something

is about sudden expressions of dissatisfaction rather than general critical reaction
litany of complaints
vsspate of complaints
  • Informal
1 7.4

A long list that repeats the same things people say are wrong

is a sudden cluster of expressions of dissatisfaction at the same time
flood of complaints
vsspate of complaints
3.8

A large number of complaints arriving at the same time

is sudden large numbers but often less overwhelming in force

How Frequent

spate of complaints
5.2

Surface Forms

spate of complaints singular
spates of complaints plural

Morphology

spate + of + complaint

The phrase is fully compositional: 'spate' (a sudden succession) combined with 'of complaints' yields the meaning 'a sudden large number of complaints'. This noun + of + noun pattern is a regular English construction and is cross-linguistically recognizable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would understand it.

Etymology

Spate of complaints comes from the old word spate, which meant a sudden flood of water. So spate of complaints means a sudden 'large number' of complaints arriving all at once.