complain

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English complaynen, from Old French complaindre, from Medieval Latin complangere (“to bewail, complain”), from Latin com- (“together”) + plangere (“to strike, beat, as the breast in extreme grief, bewail”); see plain, plaint. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kəmˈpleɪn/ Rhymes: -eɪn === Verb === complain (third-person singular simple present complains, present participle complaining, simple past and past participle complained) (intransitive) To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment. (intransitive) To state the presence of something negative; to indicate that one is suffering from something; to report (e.g.) a symptom. (intransitive) To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge. To creak or squeak, as a timber or wheel. ==== Usage notes ==== In the sense "bemoan, express displeasure," complain is most often followed by about, although of is also possible. In the more neutral sense "state the presence of a problem or symptom," of is more usual. ==== Synonyms ==== (to express displeasure with): See Thesaurus:complain ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== Further reading ==== “complain”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “complain”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === amplicon