19.07 Arguments, Complaints, Criticism

express frustration or annoyance

She called me just to … about work

vent / vent to someone

She called me just to vent about work

complain in a quiet, dissatisfied way

People were … about the delays

grumble about something
People were grumbling about the delays

complain in an annoying way usually about something that is not important

He keeps … about the weather

whinge about something

He keeps whinging about the weather

complain or react more strongly than necessary

She … a huge … about the bill.

make a fuss about something

She made a huge fuss about the bill.

complain loudly and cause trouble

Customers … when the flight was cancelled.

kick up a fuss

Customers kicked up a fuss when the flight was cancelled

openly say what you are unhappy about

The meeting turned into a chance to …

air your grievances

The meeting turned into a chance to air grievances

complain to release frustration

He just needed to … after a bad day

let off steam

He just needed to let off steam after a bad day

talk or complain about something for too long

She keeps … the noise next door.

go/bang on about something

She keeps going on about the noise next door.

complain as if something were much more serious than it really is

I think you’re … it …

blow something out of proportion

I think you’re blowing it out of proportion

judge or criticise someone too severely

I think you’re … yourself.

be hard on someone

I think you’re being too hard on yourself.

find faults in something in a critical way

He kept … my plan.

pick holes in something

He kept picking holes in my plan.

criticise something very harshly

The review … the film ...

tear something to pieces/rip to shreds

The review tore the film to pieces.

criticise someone for a mistake or bad behaviour

She … me … being late again

pull someone up on something

She pulled me up on being late again

receive criticism

The company … after the decision

come in for criticism

The company came in for criticism after the decision

react badly to criticism or treatment

He didn’t … being corrected in public

not take kindly to something

He didn’t take kindly to being corrected in public

criticise someone angrily, often in a harsh or unfair way

My boss … me for being late

have a go/pop at someone

My boss had a go at me for being late

focus on very small or unimportant faults in an annoying way

He always … tiny details instead of looking at the bigger picture.

nitpick / nitpick about something

He always nitpicks about tiny details instead of looking at the bigger picture.

accept and seriously consider an idea or criticism

She … the feedback … and changed her approach.

take something on board

She took the feedback on board and changed her approach.

act as if something is not important

She laughed and … the comment …

brush something off

She laughed and brushed the comment off.

remove tension or bad feeling by talking openly

They finally talked honestly and ...

clear the air

They finally talked honestly and cleared the air.

stop being friendly after an argument

They … over something silly and didn’t speak for months

fall out with someone

They fell out over something silly and didn’t speak for months

wait until the next day before deciding or reacting

I was angry, so I decided to … it before replying.

sleep on something

I was angry, so I decided to sleep on it before replying.