Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) – Cite This Source

com·plain /kəmˈpleɪn/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[kuhm-pleyn] Pronunciation Key – Show IPA Pronunciation

–verb (used without object) 1. to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault: He complained constantly about the noise in the corridor.

2. to tell of one’s pains, ailments, etc.: to complain of a backache.

3. to make a formal accusation: If you think you’ve been swindled, complain to the police.

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[Origin: 1350–1400; ME compleinen < AF compleign-, s. of compleindre, OF complaindre < VL *complangere, equiv. to L com- com- + plangere to lament; see plaint] —Related forms com·plain·a·ble, adjective com·plain·er, noun com·plain·ing·ly, adverb —Synonyms 1. Complain, grumble, growl, whine are terms for expressing dissatisfaction or discomfort. To complain is to protest against or lament a wrong: to complain about high prices. To grumble is to utter ill-natured complaints half to oneself: to grumble about the service. Growl may express more anger than grumble: to growl in reply to a question. To whine is to complain in a meanspirited way, using a nasal tone: to whine like a coward, like a spoiled child. —Antonyms 1. rejoice. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source com·plain (kəm-plān') Pronunciation Key intr.v. com·plained, com·plain·ing, com·plains To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment. To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge. [Middle English compleinen, from Old French complaindre, complaign-, from Vulgar Latin *complangere : Latin com-, intensive pref.; see com- + Latin plangere, to lament; see plāk-2 in Indo-European roots.] com·plain'er n. (Download Now or Buy the Book) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source complain c.1370, from stem of O.Fr. complaindre "to lament," from V.L. *complangere, orig. "to beat the breast," from L. com- intensive prefix + plangere "to strike, beat the breast," from PIE base *plag- "to strike." Older sense of "lament" died out 17c. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper WordNet - Cite This Source complain verb 1. express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about" [ant: cheer] 2. make a formal accusation; bring a formal charge; "The plaintiff's lawyer complained that he defendant had physically abused his client" WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source complain see can't complain. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source complain1 [kəmˈplein] verb to state one's displeasure, dissatisfaction etc Example: I'm going to complain to the police about the noise. Arabic: يَتَذَمَّر، يَتَشَكّى Chinese (Simplified): 抱怨 Chinese (Traditional): 抱怨 Czech: stěžovat si Danish: klage Dutch: klagen Estonian: kaebama Finnish: valittaa French: se plaindre German: sich beklagen Greek: διαμαρτύρομαι Hungarian: panaszkodik Icelandic: kvarta Indonesian: mengadu Italian: reclamare Japanese: 不平を言う Korean: 불평하다 Latvian: sūdzēties; iesniegt sūdzību Lithuanian: skųstis Norwegian: klage (over), beklage seg, påtale, reklamere Polish: narzekać Portuguese (Brazil): queixar-se Portuguese (Portugal): queixar-se Romanian: a se plânge Russian: подавать жалобу Slovak: sťažovať sa Slovenian: pritožiti se Spanish: quejarse Swedish: klaga Turkish: şikâyet etmek complain2 [kəmˈplein] verb (with of) to state that one has (pain, discomfort etc) Example: He's complaining of difficulty in breathing. Arabic: يَشْكو مِن Chinese (Simplified): 说自己有病痛 Chinese (Traditional): 主訴, 自己說(病痛等) Czech: stěžovat, *naříkat si na Danish: klage over; beklage sig over Dutch: klagen Estonian: kurtma Finnish: valittaa French: se plaindre (de) German: klagen Greek: παραπονιέμαι Hungarian: elpanaszol Icelandic: kvarta, kveina Indonesian: mengeluh Italian: lamentarsi Japanese: 訴える Korean: (고통·불편 등을) 호소하다 Latvian: žēloties; sūdzēties Lithuanian: skųstis, nusiskųsti Norwegian: klage over Polish: skarżyć się Portuguese (Brazil): queixar-se Portuguese (Portugal): queixar-se Romanian: a se plânge, a se văita (de) Russian: жаловаться Slovak: nariekať (na) Slovenian: pritoževati se Spanish: quejarse de Swedish: klaga Turkish: şikâyet etmek See also: complaint Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version), © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source Main Entry: com·plain Pronunciation: k&m-'plAn Function: intransitive verb : to speak of one's illness or symptoms

Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law – Cite This Source

Main Entry: com·plain

Function: intransitive verb

: to make a complaint

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

I’m not British, but I should think it’s the context that defines how the word is used. Just as “***” is a specific term for an animal, as well as a rather rude term for the buttocks, “bloody” can mean blood-soaked, or it can be used as an oath. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, it has been “a British intens. swear word since at least 1676.” That source goes on to report “that it was “respectable” before c.1750, and it was used by Fielding and Swift, but heavily tabooed c.1750-c.1920, perhaps from imagined association with menstruation; Johnson calls it “very vulgar…” Eric Partridge, in Words, Words, Words (Methuen, 1933), suggests six possible origins, prompting the idea that blood is simply vivid or distressing as the most probable. He also downplays the suggestion that it originates from “by our Lady” (an invocation of the Virgin Mary) as being phonetically unlikely (to whit I agree). I’ve also heard it said that it comes from an old oath, “God’s blood,” (i.e., the blood that was shed by Jesus when He died upon the cross). The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology says this is “probably” the origin, but the OED says “there is no ground for the notion”. In short, we may never know for certain of the origin.

It’s from Latin “complangere’

com, intensive, and langere, meaning ‘to lament’.

Complaining=Lamenting.

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