These words refer to the action of finding fault with one’s circumstances. Complain is the most general and also the most neutral of these, suggesting either justified or unjustified dissatisfaction with one’s situation: They complained about the terrible brutality with which they were treated; complaining about imaginary slights from the neighbours. Bewail was once similar to complain in its neutrality, but its archaic flavour now makes it suitable only for the unsympathetic satire of complaining that is motivated by self-pity, especially when the subject is a woman: like a tedious Puccini heroine bewailing her sad fate. Grumble suggests an habitual ill-humour, especially of a man, that does not quite expect to be taken seriously: husbands who grumble every summer as they dutifully pack the car for the family holiday; prisoners grumbling over the poor quality of institutional food. Whine implies a high-pitched, self-pitying tone, often sued for a continually complaining or nagging woman or for a petulant child; its use suggests complete lack of sympathy for the subject: The patient whined on and on about how unfairly her psychoanalyst had treated her. If applied to a man, it suggests weak or cowardly behaviour: he whined about his bad luck while others put out the fire.

The rest of these words range from the extremely informal to slang. They also range, in the order of their discussion, towards less and less sympathy for the subject. Gripe can be used for any fruitless expression of dissatisfaction, but is especially pertinent to military life: The officers were told to beware of soldiers who have nothing to gripe about. This context has emphasized the word as a normal everyday complaining about trivial things; it would not be used for outraged indignation or even serious dissatisfaction. Whinge is much more common than whine or gripe for continual petty expression of dissatisfaction: always whingeing about not getting a fair go; farmers who whinged about too much rain when they weren’t whingeing about too little. Grouse implies a greater animus than gripe or whinge and may suggest a more pointed lashing out in accusation or insult: grousing about the food only when the cook could overhear them. Beef works as an intensification of gripe but does not necessarily suggest the bitterness of grouse ; it can suggest an unjustified complaining : They beefed about mistreatment only to get front-page treatment in the newspapers. Bellyache suggests complaining that is interminable, tiresome and completely without justification: continually bellyaching no matter how his room-mates tried to shut him up. The slang word bitch is extremely general in its reference to complaining ; it can range in application from the fruitless dissatisfaction indicated by gripe to the bitterness of grouse : He bitched about the weather, the food and anything else that crossed his mind; The bitched about the favouritism the teacher showed to the daughter of the headmistress.