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

The meta levels here (Seyfried playing Holmes complaining about Seyfried’s portrayal of her) may kill me. — Emma Specter, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2026 These are often the same people complaining that America is raising a generation of wimps. — Jonathan Alpert Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Which means the people complaining about the problem—those of us in leadership—are the people who need to fix it. — Zaharia-Gabriel Sidere, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Jennifer Boulanger, a 63-year-old Mid-City resident, posted a video on Nextdoor complaining about the new Ralphs bot. — Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 While his customers were complaining to the New Mexico Department of Justice, financial records obtained in that lawsuit show the store's bank account was used to pay a lease to Mercedes-Benz and rent for a downtown Miami high-rise apartment. — Monika Evstatieva, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026 Indeed, most of the parties involved are complaining more or less equally and none of them have yet walked away, which may be a good sign. — Lorne Cook, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026 Voters are not going to make legislators do a better job by grumbling and complaining. — Scott Warren, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 Wynne has not received an apology from the Royal Mail after complaining. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 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

At an intersection in Hyde Park that, days earlier, had been the scene of chaos — a young girl on the ground, a car with a teenage boy on the windshield, a mother screaming — Jonathan Hale led his band of rebels.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Someone who people think is abrasive and is screaming ‘Love me,’ but punching people at the same time.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of screaming

Verb

It's been a big few months for Austin Abrams moaning and groaning his way through some of the worst situations imaginable.

— Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
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

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

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“Complaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complaining. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of complaining

adjective

verb

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