Complaint of vs Complaint for [closed]

Another one of vs for question, here for would be the right choice, because its use denotes the function of purpose as I think it's the case here, right ?

When customers complaint of an error scenario.


In normal text, the most frequent prepositions to follow complain is either of or about, with about more common in modern usage. Here’s an OED citation of each version:

  • 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) II. viii. 255
    The government could persuade themselves that evils no longer complained of had ceased to exist.
  • 1986 Guardian 11 Nov. 12/5
    The prisoners have complained about restrictions on visits, excessive searches and, above all, brutality.

The OED says that complain for is obsolete. It meant to lament. Several other possible prepositions now rarely seen occur historically, but have now all become obsolete, or at most, poetic.


First off, you need to learn the difference between "complain" (verb) and "complaint" (noun).

As a verb, this is the paradigm of "complain":

complain -- complained -- complained 

So "complaint" can't be made to act like a verb.

You could change your sentence fragment this way:

When customers lodge a complaint/ complaints

Either this or just change the verb to "complain."


About the preposition, the pattern we normally use is:

complain + (to somebody/ a department) + about something

"Of" is also possible but not "for."