complaint
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a statement that you are unhappy or not satisfied with a situation or service.
the act of expressing dissatisfaction or the statement itself regarding a perceived grievance.
Simple“The customer made a formal complaint because the waiter was very rude.”
In context“The department received a formal complaint regarding the lack of transparency in the recent promotion process.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'make', 'file', or 'lodge'.
PitfallI want to make a complain about the food. I want to make a complaint about the food.Use 'complain' as a verb and 'complaint' as a noun.
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a formal legal document that starts a case or accuses someone of a crime.
a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons for a lawsuit or a criminal charge.
Simple“The lawyer filed a complaint against the company for breaking the contract.”
In context“The plaintiff's attorney drafted a civil complaint alleging breach of fiduciary duty and seeking compensatory damages.”
UsageIn legal contexts, this is a countable noun referring to a specific document.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
an illness or a medical problem, usually one that is not very serious.
a physical ailment or medical disorder, often used when describing symptoms to a doctor.
Simple“He went to the doctor because of a persistent stomach complaint.”
In context“The patient presented with a minor respiratory complaint that had persisted for several weeks despite over-the-counter treatment.”
Teacher's tipThis is a more formal way to say 'illness' or 'problem' in a medical context.
From Middle English compleynte, from Anglo-Norman compleint, from Old French compleindre, eventually from Latin planctus (whence plaint).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.