COMPLAINING Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

complaining 1 of 2

adjective

as in protesting

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Dissimilar Words

complaining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of complain

as in whining

to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely the time-honored tradition of new recruits complaining about the food in the mess hall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of complaining

Adjective

An energy vampire has bad body language, the complaining look on their face, the vocal complainer. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026

Verb

That would drive up yields on French bonds, making borrowing to fund that spending even more expensive—and thus worsen the problem that the rioters are complaining about. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026 Voters are not going to make legislators do a better job by grumbling and complaining. — Scott Warren, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 The companies write in general terms that undercutting affiliates would lessen liquidity and worsen odds for customers, while complaining about the operational burdens the rules would create. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Nor does a player confronting or complaining about a fan establish that the fan crossed the line. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Wynne has not received an apology from the Royal Mail after complaining. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 Plus, no one seems to be complaining that a Braves Hall of Famer is the commentator. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 But Chee Meng kept complaining about his shirts being misplaced, and Shawn knew that the man was still slipping out, either to look for work or for other purposes. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026 Staff were complaining about the connection in February, Wired reported, and Transformer reported that employees confronted Lehane in a meeting in May, pushing the company to explain its relationship with LTF. — Garrison Lovely, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for complaining

Adjective

The death toll includes at least 19 children, 21 non-protesting civilians, and 165 in government or security forces.

— The Hill, The Hill, 17 Jan. 2026
Among the dead were 13 children and 14 non-protesting civilians, HRANA said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2026

Definition of protesting

Verb

While the left spent all week whining about Sophie Cunningham's hat and firing squad best practices, us PATRIOTS were biding our time, keeping our heads down, and grinding towards another weekend.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Dogs may actually improve our sleep habits by forcing us to adjust to consistent bedtime schedules — as anyone with a sleepy, whining dog can confirm.

— Gina Vivinetto, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of whining

Verb

Research on hitting objects does not support it as a way to reduce anger, and there are too few studies of screaming to conclude its effects.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
Onstage, Slayyyter, whose real name is Catherine Grace Garner, is a force, constantly moving around the stage, thrashing her head along to the music and screaming the lyrics to her songs.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of screaming

Verb

For a cold moment the silence locked a grip on our table, though it was broken, at the edges, by the golf commentators moaning and harrumphing, Rory McIlroy having had a canary on a seventeenth fairway somewhere this championship Sunday.

— Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
By the time Fowler gave up trying to put one in Carruthers, DiLiberato could hear her client moaning and see blood oozing out of his puncture wounds.

— Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of moaning

Verb

Max Muncy, whose home run expanded the Dodgers’ lead, was still muttering about the heat nearly 15 minutes after escaping into air conditioning.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
When John finally reunites with Hal (who charges the ring against the lantern while quickly muttering his oath), the frustrated protégé immediately confronts his teacher with all the suspicions he was meant to keep secret.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of muttering

Verb

Voters are not going to make legislators do a better job by grumbling and complaining.

— Scott Warren, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
Know More Waters is one of a number of senior members of Congress that fellow Democrats are grumbling about in private for being delinquent on their dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of grumbling

Verb

With early voting already underway, a question worrying some voters is what role — if any — immigration enforcement officers might have at polling places through Election Day.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Cloud computing let businesses add capacity without worrying much about what sat behind it.

— Anthony Milewski, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of worrying

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“Complaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complaining. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of complaining

adjective

verb

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