Complaint

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəmˈpleɪnt/

Definitions

1. A statement expressing dissatisfaction, pain, or annoyance about something considered wrong or unsatisfactory
2. An articulation of unhappiness or objection concerning a perceived fault or dissatisfaction with a particular situation or service
3. An expression of discontent or grievance regarding an issue or service that is deemed inadequate or unsatisfactory

Etymology: The most surprising link here is to a word for mourning. "Complaint" descends from Latin "planctus," meaning a lament or wailing, especially the loud grief expressed at a death. The Latin verb "plangere" meant to beat the breast or strike in mourning, and the same root gives English "plaint," an old word for a lament or a complaint. The passage into French and English shifted the emotion from grief to grievance. Old French "complaindre" meant to lament or express sorrow, and it reached Middle English as "compleynte," which carried the sense of an outcry or lament. Over time that cry of sorrow narrowed toward dissatisfaction: a statement that something is wrong, unfair, or unwelcome. Note that "complaint" also has a separate medical sense, as in a patient's complaint or a condition, which grew from the same idea of expressing distress.

Synonyms: grievance, protest, objection, dissatisfaction, issue

Antonyms: praise, compliment, approval, acclaim, endorsement