The Collaborative International Dictionary
complaining \complaining\ (k[o^]m*pl[=a]n"[i^]mg) adj. uttering complaints. Opposite of uncomplaining.
Note: [Narrower terms: faultfinding, grumbling(prenominal): fretful, querulous, whiney, whining(prenominal), whiny; protesting(prenominal), protestant]
Syn: complaintive.
Wiktionary
n. The act by which someone complaints; a complaint. vb. (present participle of complain English)
WordNet
adj. expressing pain or dissatisfaction of resentment; "a complaining wife" [syn: complaining(a), complaintive] [ant: uncomplaining]
Usage examples of "complaining".
As soon as it was daylight I ran out of the wretched garret, and, after complaining to the girl of all I had endured during the night, I asked her to give me a Clean shirt, the one I had on being disgusting to look at, but she answered that I could only change my linen on a Sunday, and laughed at me when I threatened to complain to the mistress.
Two or three weeks after my arrival he heard me complaining of the obstacles to research in the Roman libraries, and he offered to give me an introduction to the Superior of the Jesuits.
The same kind of thing happened to me at Constantinople, when I was complaining of a cold in the head in the presence of a Turk, who was thinking, I could see, that a dog of a Christian was not worthy of such a blessing.
As if to make that pleasant office easier, she raised the bedclothes to support herself, and she thus gave me a sight of beauties which intoxicated my eyes, and I protracted the easy operation without her complaining of my being too slow.
Order the postillion to stop, I will get out of the carriage, and you may rely upon my not complaining of your treatment.
I spent the day with him, foolishly complaining, and telling him that he could assure the mother that I would take no proceedings against her, but that I should like to know if she had the courage to receive this assurance from my own lips.
The faint hum of the insect, the intermittent murmur of the guitar, the mellow complainings of the pigeons, the prolonged purr of the white cat, the contented clucking of the hens--all these noises mingled together to form a faint, drowsy bourdon, prolonged, stupefying, suggestive of an infinite quiet, of a calm, complacent life, centuries old, lapsing gradually to its end under the gorgeous loneliness of a cloudless, pale blue sky and the steady fire of an interminable sun.
He lay between her legs as limp as the dangle on a castrated horse, with strange scared screams on his lips but only nervous grunts coming out for her to hear, while she cooed softly and smoothed her hands over his back and kept from complaining even though his heaviness hurt her some.
I would not wish to be thought a Sybarite myself, or to be held as complaining because I have been compelled to give up my seat to women with babies and bandboxes who have accepted the courtesy with very scanty grace.
But I would not wish that they should hereafter have the power of complaining of a want of English justice.
For all their complaining, they were strong young men, well fed, strengthened by riding and weapons drill, and so scared that none of them wanted to be the one to fall behind.
He walked, hugging himself, waving his arms outward and slapping himself as he walked, complaining about burning fires.
They packed up and moved on, the beasts complaining, and by evening the wind was a west wind, in their faces, picking up sand as it came.
From beneath his feet, at such times, as from a shrill ghost unquiet in its grave, there frequently arise complainings and lamentations in the voice already mentioned.