plaintive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of plaintive
First recorded in 1350–1400; plaint + -ive; replacing Middle English plaintif, from Middle French
Explanation
Plaintive is an adjective for describing someone or something with a pleading, sorrowful, desperate tone. If you have ever heard the plaintive howl of a wolf, then you know what we are getting at here. A plaint, as in complaint, is an expression of sorrow or grief. This word has also been bent a little at the ends to become plaintiff or complainant — the sufferer — in a lawsuit. So, whether you are hearing a plaintive tone in a courtroom, at a funeral, or in the wild (as in an animal's plaintive howl), you can be assured that someone or something desires something desperately.
Vocabulary lists containing plaintive
Grade 11, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Things Fall Apart
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Night
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Plaintive notes about sorry conditions and the aftermath of battle still ring with horror.
From Washington Post • Nov. 5, 2016
Plaintive strings from Iran give way to a charging medley of Vietnamese bells.
From New York Times • Jul. 30, 2015
A version of this review appears in print on February 15, 2014, on page C5 of the with the headline: Attuned To Strings, Plaintive Or Manic .
From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2014
Half-heard melodies in a darkened room, they explore the sounds a single instrument can make, from the screeching slides of No 5, Chromatically Saucy, to the plangent beauty of No 19, Plaintive Tune.
From The Guardian • Sep. 29, 2012
Plaintive and eerie the moor-birds protested against this invasion of their haunts.
From The Underworld The Story of Robert Sinclair, Miner by Welsh, James C.
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.
