plangent

American  

[plan-juhnt] / ˈplæn dʒənt /

adjective

1. resounding loudly, especially with a plaintive sound, as a bell.

---

plangent British  

/ ˈplændʒənt /

adjective

1. having a loud deep sound

2. resonant and mournful in sound

---

Other Word Forms

• plangency noun
• plangently adverb

Etymology

Origin of plangent

1815–25; < Latin plangent- (stem of plangēns ), present participle of plangere to beat, lament. See plain ², -ent

Explanation

Any sound described as plangent echoes in a loud and often mournful way. There may be certain sad songs with plangent choruses that make you cry every time you hear them. The haunting peal of a church bell is plangent, and a poet's plangent, resonant tones when she reads her latest work might send chills down your spine. The adjective plangent isn't one you hear very often (it appears most frequently in a literary context), but it's good for capturing a specific sound that evokes an emotional response. Plangent originally meant "beating with a loud sound," from the Latin plangere, "to strike or beat."

Example Sentences

Where are the movie stars and pop icons with their beautifully produced plangent video pleas for justice?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

The column in which this plangent cri de coeur appeared bears the subtle title “More Babies, Please.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 27, 2023

He plays subtext beautifully in “Spiderhead,” with plangent notes of regret.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2022

Jennifer Johnson Cano’s mezzo-soprano was smoothly plangent as Emilia; the tenor Pene Pati was a sweetly ingenuous Cassio.

From New York Times • May 22, 2022

As the forest’s warning became louder, more plangent and strident, William’s buoyant mood shivered, quailed, and fled like a routed army from the field.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz