As verbs the difference between complain and nark
is that
complain is to express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment while
nark is (slang) to serve or behave as a spy or informer.
As a noun nark is
(british|slang) a police spy or informer or
nark can be (
narcotics officer).
complain English
Verb
( en verb)
To express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment.
- Joe was always complaining about the noise made by his neighbours.
* Milton
- O loss of sight, of thee I most complain !
To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.
- They've complained about me to the police again.
* Shakespeare
- Now, Master Shallow, you'll complain of me to the king?
To creak or squeak, as a timber or wheel.
- the complaining bed-springs
Synonyms
* grumble
* grouse
* grump
* bitch
* beef
* gripe
* whine
* kvetch
* moan
* whinge
* See also
External links
*
*
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nark Etymology 1
From (etyl) nak.
Alternative forms
* narc
Noun
( en noun)
(British, slang) A police spy or informer.
* 1912 , , Act I,
- It’s a—well, it’s a copper’s nark , as you might say. What else would you call it? A sort of informer.
Verb
( en verb)
(slang) To serve or behave as a spy or informer.
(slang) To annoy or irritate.
- It really narks me when people smoke in restaurants.
(slang) To complain.
- He narks in my ear all day, moaning about his problems.
(transitive, slang, often imperative) To stop.
- Nark it! I hear someone coming!
Synonyms
*
* tattle
Etymology 2
See narc
Noun
( en noun)
(narcotics officer).
References
*
* Oxford English Dictionary , 2nd ed., 1989.
Anagrams
*
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