{
    "term": "complain",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "complain",
            "heSheIt": "complains"
        },
        "pastSimple": "complained",
        "pastParticiple": "complained",
        "ingForm": "complaining"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to say that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied about somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "complain to somebodycomplain about somethingcomplain to somebody about somethingcomplain of somethingcomplain at somethingcomplain (that)…+ speech",
            "labels": "(informal)British English",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She never complains, but she's obviously exhausted."
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘How are you?’ ‘Oh, **I can't complain** *(= I'm all right)*.’"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Annoyed residents have complained to the police.",
                    "contextForm": "complain to somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Shoppers complained about the lack of toilet facilities.",
                    "contextForm": "complain about something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'm going to complain to the manager about this.",
                    "contextForm": "complain to somebody about something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The defendant complained of intimidation during the investigation.",
                    "contextForm": "complain of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She complained at the unfairness of it all.",
                    "contextForm": "complain at something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He **complained bitterly** that he had been unfairly treated.",
                    "contextForm": "complain (that)…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘It's not fair,’ she complained.",
                    "contextForm": "+ speech"
                },
                {
                    "text": "All the guests complained about the noise."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He really has no right to complain."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'm going to complain to the authorities about this!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was entirely my own idea, so I can hardly complain."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She complained bitterly about the lack of help she received."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Feelings"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["bitterly", "loudly", "constantly"],
                "verb + complain": ["cannot", "can hardly", "have cause to"],
                "preposition": ["about", "at", "to"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kəmˈpleɪn/",
                "audio": "co/complain/complain__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kəmˈpleɪnz/",
                "audio": "co/complain/complains__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kəmˈpleɪnd/",
                "audio": "co/complain/complained__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kəmˈpleɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "co/complain/complaining__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kəmˈpleɪn/",
                "audio": "co/complain/complain__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kəmˈpleɪnz/",
                "audio": "co/complain/complains__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kəmˈpleɪnd/",
                "audio": "co/complain/complained__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kəmˈpleɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "co/complain/complaining__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Old French complaindre, from medieval Latin complangere ‘bewail’, from Latin com- (expressing intensive force) + plangere ‘to lament’."
}