Complain vs Murmur - What's the difference?
complain | murmur |
To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
* Milton
To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.
* Shakespeare
To creak or squeak, as a timber or wheel.
(countable) Low or indistinct sounds or speech.
* 1874 , (Marcus Clarke), (For the Term of His Natural Life) , chapter V:
* 1960 , , (Jeeves in the Offing) , chapter XI:
(medicine) The sound made by any condition which produces noisy, or turbulent, flow of blood through the heart.
A muttered complaint or protest; the expression of dissatisfaction in a low muttering voice; any expression of complaint or discontent
* 1919 , :
* 1960 , , (Jeeves in the Offing) , chapter XX:
* 1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. Bible , (w) VI:
(label) To speak or make low, indistinguishable noise; to mumble, mutter.
*{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers)
, chapter=7, title= (label) To say (something) indistinctly, to mutter.
* (William Shakespeare), 1 , II. 3.51
In intransitive terms the difference between complain and murmur
is that complain is to make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge while murmur is to speak or make low, indistinguishable noise; to mumble, mutter.As a noun murmur is
low or indistinct sounds or speech.complain
English
Verb
(en verb)- Joe was always complaining about the noise made by his neighbours.
- O loss of sight, of thee I most complain !
- They've complained about me to the police again.
- Now, Master Shallow, you'll complain of me to the king?
- the complaining bed-springs
Synonyms
* grumble * grouse * grump * bitch * beef * gripe * whine * kvetch * moan * whinge * See alsoExternal links
* *Anagrams
* English reporting verbsmurmur
English
Noun
(en noun)- In the prison of the 'tween decks reigned a darkness pregnant with murmurs . The sentry at the entrance to the hatchway was supposed to "prevent the prisoners from making a noise," but he put a very liberal interpretation upon the clause, and so long as the prisoners refrained from shouting, yelling, and fighting--eccentricities in which they sometimes indulged--he did not disturb them.
- A murmur arose from the audience.
- The moment had come for the honeyed word. I lowered my voice to a confidential murmur , but on her inquiring if I had laryngitis raised it again.
- In fear of disease and in the interest of his health man will be muzzled and masked like a vicious dog, and that without any murmur of complaint.
- Glossop will return from his afternoon off to find the awful majesty of the Law waiting for him, complete with handcuffs. We can hardly expect him to accept an exemplary sentence without a murmur , so his first move will be to establish his innocence by revealing all.
Verb
(en verb)- The iewes murmured att itt, because he sayde: I am thatt breed which is come doune from heven.
A Cuckoo in the Nest, passage=“Oh yes,” he murmured in a tone of obligatory surprise, as he proceeded to make the kind of 2 which he attributed to Margaret's style of chirography.}}
- Iheard thee murmur tales of iron wars.