plaintive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- plaintively adverb
- plaintiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of plaintive
First recorded in 1350–1400; plaint + -ive; replacing Middle English plaintif, from Middle French
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chip sounded so plaintive, Jonah couldn’t argue anymore.
From Literature
Faith and modesty were qualities in all Heynis’s performances, delivered in a plaintive and haunting tone that is not quite like any other.
Gladiator II and Hamnet star Mescal has a huge social media fanbase and mentioned last December he was loving a song called Evelyn, a plaintive folk ballad from Michael's second album Thin White Road.
From BBC
Even Veronika had the sense not to repeat her plaintive question, “I wonder how they heard of me.”
From Literature
The words seemed to come from outside her, but it was only a whippoorwill offering its plaintive, three-note cry.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
