Synonyms for complaint
Most common
grumble plaint grievance authorities accusation allegation grumbling
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Ailment
ailment, sickness, disease, trouble, ill, disorder, illness, malady, indisposition, distemper
2. Plaint — A grievance, problem, difficulty, or concern
3. Grievance
grievance, objection, remonstrance, expostulation rare
Other
charge, charre UK, allegation, accusation, information, grumbling, authorities, discontent, offense US, offence UK, murmuring, grouch informal, mempsis rare
Definitions
- n. 1
A grievance, problem, difficulty, or concern.
I have no complaints about the quality of his work, but I don't enjoy his company.
- n. 2
The act of complaining.
He filed complaints with the housing authority.
- n. 3
In a civil action, the first pleading of the plaintiff setting out the facts on which the claim is based.
Related words
- Word family
- complaintive
Forms
- Plural
- complaints → ailments, sicknesses, diseases, troubles…
Choose the right word
Complain has a formal and legal meaning, which the other words have not, signifying to make a formal accusation, present a specific charge; the same is true of the noun complaint.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- grumble His grandparents do nothing but grumble all day.
- grievance I have a grievance about that. I believe it was unfair.
- authorities The authorities managed to stabilize the currency.
- accusation He denies this accusation and speaks only of a kiss.
- allegation Tom was fired over a sexual harassment allegation.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| complaint | falling | |
| grumble | rising | |
| plaint | falling | |
| grievance | falling | |
| authorities | falling | |
| accusation | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- ill1
- 4 letters
- moan1
- 5 letters
- noise1
- 6 letters
- charge1, murmur2, malady3, grouch1, plaint, charre
- 7 letters
- disease2, trouble2, illness2, offense2, offence, ailment2, grumble2, mempsis
- 8 letters
- disorder3, sickness2
- 9 letters
- objection3, grievance2, grumbling3, murmuring3, distemper3
- 10 letters
- accusation4, allegation4, discontent3
- 11 letters
- information4, authorities4
- 12 letters
- remonstrance
- 13 letters
- indisposition, expostulation
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (murmur2 = 2 syllables).