the act of complaining; an expression of grievance a cause for complaining; grievance a mild ailment
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
com•plaint /kəmˈpleɪnt/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- an expression of discontent, regret, pain, resentment, or grief: [countable]The police did not listen to her complaints.[uncountable]I've written several letters of complaint.
- a cause of such discontent;
reason for complaining: [countable]Her complaint was that no one listened to her.[uncountable]You don't have good grounds for complaint about noise. - [countable] a cause of bodily pain or ailment;
malady: to suffer from a rare complaint.
com•plaint
(kəm plānt′),USA pronunciation n.
- an expression of discontent, regret, pain, censure, resentment, or grief;
lament;
faultfinding:his complaint about poor schools. - a cause of discontent, pain, grief, lamentation, etc.
- a cause of bodily pain or ailment;
malady:The doctor says I suffer from a rare complaint. - Lawthe first pleading of the plaintiff in a civil action, stating the cause of action.
- Latin com- com- + plancta plaint
- Middle French complainte
- Middle English compleynte 1350–1400
- 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged sickness, illness, ailment.
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