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“The people are drifting from door to door / Can’t find no heaven I don’t care where they go.” So sang Nehemiah Curtis “Skip” James on a Depression-era recording of his song “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues.” James’s somber lyrics as well as his otherworldly falsetto and distinctive minor-key fingerpicking may be aptly described by the adjective plaintive—deeply expressive, like much of the blues. Plaintive comes from the Middle English word plaintif, meaning “grieving,” a borrowing from an identical Anglo-French word that itself was formed from the Anglo-French noun plaint, a word meaning “lamentation.” (Plaint was also adopted directly into English to refer to expressions of sorrow, mourning, or regret.) Plaintif is the source too of the familiar legal term plaintiff, which refers to someone who presents a legal action or complaint to a court. But while only some people become plaintiffs, all are capable of plaintiveness, whether in song or just a world-weary sigh.
Synonyms
Examples of plaintive in a Sentence
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2024
Abela’s plaintive demeanor and wide, open face makes for a much more vulnerable and softer Amy.
—Sophie Wilkinson, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2024
The plaintive tone of one undated email appears to show Artiles’ distress at being iced out.
—Mario Alejandro Ariza, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
But in recent days, as the six-month anniversary approached, the tenor of the administration’s entreaties to Israel has changed from plaintive finger-wagging to angry displeasure.
—Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
The plaintive ballad is also up for Best Song honors at the 2024 Oscars ceremony on March 10.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2024
Brandt’s debut hasn’t quite the Bard’s poetry, but the plaintive conscience is present and correct.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024
Hayao Miyazaki’s film cuts abruptly to a parade of tanks rolling down the street, and the piano enters, plaintive, mournful, and almost welcoming.
—Vulture, 24 Jan. 2024
Though it is not sung out loud, the lyrics appear on the screen as the plaintive melody is played, and Wulf’s own voice (recorded in the late 1960s) introduces it.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plaintive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near plaintive
Cite this Entry
“Plaintive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaintive. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
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