# complain

Pronunciation: say "kuhm-PLAYN" /kəmˈpleɪn/

## Verb

1. To voice feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment about something.
   - Simple: To say that you are unhappy, hurt, or annoyed about something.
   - _Passengers complain when flights are delayed without any explanation._
   - _He kept complaining about his aching back all afternoon._
2. To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge against someone.
   - Simple: To officially report someone or something to a person in charge.
   - _The tenants complained to the housing authority about the unsafe conditions._
   - _Anyone harmed by the fraud may complain to the financial regulator._
3. To creak or squeak, as a strained timber or a turning wheel does.
   - Simple: To make a creaking or squeaking sound, like old wood or a wheel.
   - _The ship's timbers complained under the weight of the storm._
   - _Old hinges complain when no one has oiled them for years._

## Origin

From Middle English complaynen, from Old French complaindre, from Medieval Latin complangere ('to bewail, complain'), itself from Latin com- ('together') and plangere ('to strike or beat', as one beats the breast in extreme grief).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/complain (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).