ENGLISH
REFERENCE

complained

v.
A2 Elementary US //kəmˈpɫeɪnd// UK //kəmplˈeɪnd// com·plained

v. to say that you are unhappy or not satisfied with something. You use this when you want to tell someone that a situation is wrong or annoying.

v. to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment about a situation. Intransitive in its primary sense; often followed by a prepositional phrase.


SIMPLE

He complained about the cold weather.

CONTEXTUAL

Several customers complained to the manager because the service was much slower than usual.

COMPLEX

Although the staff worked tirelessly to resolve the technical issues, the shareholders complained that the lack of communication during the crisis was unacceptable.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

The verb is intransitive and typically takes the prepositions 'about' or 'of' before the subject of the grievance, or 'to' before the recipient.

Pitfall

She complained the noise.She complained about the noise.Complain is intransitive and cannot take a direct object; it requires a preposition like 'about' or 'of'.

© 2026 English Reference