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Date:
1300-1400
Language:
Old French
Origin:
complaindre, from
Vulgar Latin
complangere, from
Latin
com- (
COM-
) + plangere (
PLAINT
)
complain
verb
com‧plain
S2
W3
1
[
intransitive,transitive not in passive
]
to say that you are annoyed, not satisfied, or unhappy about something or someone
[↪
complaint
]
:
Residents are complaining because traffic in the area has increased.
'You never ask my opinion about anything,' Rod complained.
complain (that)
She complained that no one had been at the airport to meet her.
complain about
She often complains about not feeling appreciated at work.
complain of
Several women have complained of sexual harassment.
complain to
Neighbours complained to the police about the dogs barking.
Employees
complained bitterly
about working conditions.
2
(I/you/he etc) can't complain
spoken
used to say that a situation is satisfactory, even though there may be a few problems
:
I make a good living. I can't complain.
complain of something
phrasal verb
MI
to say that you feel ill or have a pain in a part of your body
:
Dan's been complaining of severe headaches.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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