▪ I. complain, v.
(kəmˈpleɪn)
Forms: 4 compleign(e, 4–6 -pleyn(e, -pleine, 5 -plane, 5–6 -playn(e, 6 -plene, 6–7 -plaine, 6– complain.
[ME. compleigne, f. F. complaign- stem of complaindre (cf. pres. conj. complaigne) to manifest compassion, bewail = It. compiangere:—late L. complang-ĕre to bewail, f. L. com- intensive + plangĕre to lament, bewail, orig. to strike, beat, beat the breast or head in sign of grief.]
I. To give expression to sorrow or suffering.
† 1. a. trans. To bewail, lament, deplore. Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 1142 He longe hadde hire compleyned. c 1386 ― Clerk's T. 474 They mowe wel be biwaylit or compleynit. ― Doctor's T. 239 Ȝeue me leue, fader myn..My deþ for to compleyne a litel space. c 1450 Merlin ii. 24 They complayned here grete losse. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccxx. 283 To complayne the dethe of the kyng. 1647 Crashaw Music's Duel Poems 91 Whose trembling murmurs..Run to and fro, complaining his sweet cares. 1700 Dryden Fables (J.), Gaufride, who couldst so well in rhime complain, The death of Richard, with an arrow slain. |
† b. To utter in complaint; to compose as a complaint. Obs.
| c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1744 Lucrece, Hire wordis that she hath compleynyd. 1595 Spenser Col. Clout 513 She to whom Daphnaida Vpon her neeces death I did complaine. |
† 2. refl. [so OF. se complaindre.] To bewail oneself, lament, utter one's lamentations. Obs.
| c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1964 Ariadne, Thesyus compleynede hym be nyghte. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour F v, He..dyd complayne hymself to his wyf. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 598 To all the host of heaven I complain me. 1619 W. Sclater Expos. I. Thess. (1630) 534 The Apostle complaines him heauily of sinne dwelling in him. |
† 3. a. intr. To give expression to sorrow; to make moan, lament. Const. to, unto another, for an object. Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Compl. Mars 136 Compleyneth eke ye lovers alle in fere For her. 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. v, That myghtest well complayn & make dole. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon cxvii. 414 When Huon saw this shyppe arryue at the porte he greatly complaynyd for them, and sayd. 1633 P. Fletcher Elisa ii. xxiii, Remember measure in your griefs complaining. 1647 Cowley Mistr., Vain Love (1669) 18 What Lover can like me complain, Who first lov'd vainly, next in vain! |
b. with subord. clause.
| c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 758 Oon Latumyus Compleigned unto his felaw Arrius, That, etc. 1509 Fisher Fun. Serm. C'tess Richm. Wks. 292 Often she complayned that in her youthe she had not gyuen her to the understondynge of Latyn. |
4. a. intr. (formerly also refl.) To give sign of physical suffering or pain, to suffer, to be ailing. (Now dial.) Cf. complaint 6.
| 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1673) 331 The Horse immediately had the use of his leg..and went also safe home without complaining thereof ever after. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 144 When the horse complaineth himselfe, and his flankes be swolne..by hauing eaten some bad Hay. Ibid. 721 If you see that she complaine her selfe of sicknesse, put into her water-pot some sixe chyres of Saffron. 1654 Codrington tr. Hist. Ivstine 200 His body became so extreamly tender, that he complained at the touches of his friends. 1731 Swift On his Death, Should some neighbour feel a pain Just in the parts where I complain. 1801 MacNeill Waes of War 3 (Jam.) Wounded soldier! if complaining, Sleep nae here and catch your death. Mod. Sc. He's always complaining [i.e. ailing]. |
b. with a mixture of 2, and associated with 6: to complain of: to let it be known that one is suffering from (any pain, or feeling of illness).
| 1792 Burns Song ‘What can a young Lassie’ ii, He's always compleenin frae mornin to e'enin, He hosts and he hirples the weary day lang. c 1850 Arab. Nts. (Rtldg.) 594 He..complained of a violent pain that had suddenly seized his head. 1890 Wallace Schopenhauer 212 Complaining that something was amiss with the beating of his heart. Mod. What does the patient complain of? She complains frequently of headaches. |
II. The expression of suffering passing into that of grievance and blame.
† 5. refl. = next. Const. of. Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 245 Whereof nature her hath compleigned Unto the god. c 1450 Merlin v. 80 That he sholde a-mende alle the fautes whereof thei cowde hem complayne. 1532 Elyot Let. 8 Dec. in Gov. (1883) p. lxxxix, The infelicitie that I complayne me of. 1631 E. Pellham God's Power in Churchill Voy. (1704) IV. 817/1 Leisure..to complain ourselves of our..miserable conditions. |
6. intr. To give expression to feelings of illusage, dissatisfaction, or discontent; to murmur, grumble. a. simply, and const. against (at).
| 1393 Gower Conf. II. 203 These olde men..ayein the king Among hem self compleignen ofte. 1570 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden Soc.) 1, I..have bene alwais very loth to complain. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. vii. 14 And having not, complaine, and having it, upbrayd. 1611 Bible Numb. xi. 1 When the people complained, it displeased the Lord. 1771 Goldsm. Hist. Eng. II. 31 The people complained at those extortions they could not resist. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. iii. 192 To complain against the justice of the [consistory] courts being to complain against the Church. 1876 J. H. Newman Hist. Sk. II. ii. ii. 238 He had that noble spirit which complains as little as possible. |
† b. Const. on, upon. (Also with indirect passive.) Obs. exc. poet. In early use not very far from sense 1: cf. ‘to cry out upon’.
| c 1430 Lydg. Hors, Shepe & G. 151 He cryethe affter peasse.. compleynnythe vppon þe werres sore. a 1500 Nut-Brown Maid i, These men..On women do complayne. 1602 Carew Cornwall 72 a, My deare friends, I come to complaine upon you, but to your selues. 1612 Shelton Quix. i. i, I do justly complain on your Beauty. 1659 Burton's Diary (1828) IV. 356 They took them away upon prudentials now so much complained on. a 1850 Rossetti Dante & Circ. i. (1874) 169 Ye complain on God and on my sway. |
c. Const. of or (in mod. use) about. Now the leading use.
| 1584 D. Powel Lloyd's Cambria 347 All men that Complaine of any of his men. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xviii. 90 He that complaineth of injury from his Soveraigne. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 127 ¶3 The Heat they complain of cannot be in the Weather. 1750 Gray Elegy iii, The mopeing owl does to the moon complain Of such, as..Molest her ancient solitary reign. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) II. viii. 255 The government could persuade themselves that evils no longer complained of had ceased to exist. 1916 E. O'Neill Bound East for Cardiff 12 'Tis a hell av a thing for us to be complainin' about our guts, and a sick man maybe dyin' listenin' to us. 1949 E. Waugh Let. 10 Oct. (1980) 311 Everyone I met complained bitterly about the injustice of having to earn a living and the peculiar beastliness of his own profession. 1955 G. Vidal Messiah (1968) ix. ii. 180 Though he complained continually about his captivity..he was cheerful enough. 1979 C. P. Snow Coat of Varnish ii. xx. 158 They were complaining, with hearty rancour, about being needed to stay on duty on a Saturday night. 1986 Guardian 11 Nov. 12/5 The prisoners have complained about restrictions on visits, excessive searches and, above all, brutality. |
d. with clause. (Also with impers. pass.)
| 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 227 a, When it was complained unto Augustus, that one Erotes, etc. a 1600 Hooker Eccl. Pol. viii. vii. §6 Of the people S. Jerome complaineth that their judgements..went much awry. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 550 Others..complain that Fate Free Vertue should enthrall to Force or Chance. 1710 Swift Lett. (1767) III. 43 Mr. Harley complained he could keep nothing from me. 1728 North Mem. Musick (1846) 51 It is complained that the Emperor spent his time..with hearing of Organs. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 55 Ctesippus complained that we were talking in secret. |
† 7. trans. = complain of, 6 c. Obs.
| 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1874) I. 302 Suche oft complayne the charge of pouerte. 1533 Bellenden Livy iii. (1822) 243 Thre legatis..complening the injuris done be the Equis. a 1593 Marlowe Dido 1, Our ships..That do complain the wounds of thousand waves. |
8. a. intr. (orig. refl.) spec. To make a formal statement of a grievance to or before a competent authority; to lodge a complaint, bring a charge. Const. as in 6.
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. 395 The lay peple ouȝten Compleyne hem to the Iugis of the preestes and clerkes so trespacing. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon iii. 89, I complayne me to you of the foure sonnes of Aymon. 1489 ― Faytes of A. iv. v. 242 He dide his deuoire to complayne bifore theire iustyce. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. vii. heading, Howe the quene of Ingland went and complayned her to the kyng of Fraunce..of Syr Hewe Spencer. 1598 R. Grenewey Tacitus' Ann. iii. vi. (1622) 73 Domitius Corbulo..complained before the Lords of the Senate on L. Sulla..that, etc. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. s.v. Complain, One man threatening to complain of another, is saying that he will report misconduct to the officer in charge of the quarter-deck. |
b. to complain of, at Eton, to report (a boy) to the Headmaster as deserving punishment.
| 1870 ‘Etonian’ Recoll. Eton ii. iv. 207 Every dame's house is supposed to be under the charge of some master, who is intended to keep an eye upon the boys and set such punishments as are necessary, or complain of those who deserve it. 1908 Westm. Gaz. 30 June 12/1 His tutor intended ‘to complain of us’. This is the euphonious term for sending in names to the headmaster to be flogged. a 1909 Swinburne Herbert Winwood in Lesbia Brandon (1952) 189 Tell my father I have not been complained of again this half. |
III. 9. a. transf. and fig. To emit a mournful sound.
| 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 511 Creaking Grashoppers on Shrubs complain. 1708 Pope Ode St. Cecilia i. 6 In a sadly-pleasing strain Let the warbling lute complain. 1832 Tennyson Lady of Shalott iv. i, The broad stream in his banks complaining. |
b. Naut. To groan or creak from over-straining.
| 1722 Lond. Gaz. No. 6. 118/7 The Storm made the..Sloop complain so much. 1772–84 Cook Voy. (1790) VI. 2237 Our rudder having been for some time complaining, and..reported to be in a dangerous state. 1853 Kane Grinnell Exp. xxix. (1856) 253 The nipping caused our timbers to complain sadly. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Complain, the creaking of masts, or timbers, when over-pressed. |
▪ II. complain, n. Obs. exc. poet.
(kəmˈpleɪn)
[f. prec. vb.]
Complaining, complaint.
| c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iv. 1124 It is bot in vayn Thus remedilesse to mak compleyn. 1820 Keats Lamia i. 288 The amorous promise of her lone complain. |