1
as in lamentation
a crying out in grief
the day after the massacre the plaints of bereaved mothers and wives could be heard throughout the village
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complaint
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
that taxes are too high is perhaps the most perennial of plaints
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plaint
Like Emanuel and his comrades, Harper and his film go a meaningful way in asking and offering an answer to that plaint.
—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
But Barham plays the role both for plaints and for boasts.
—
Jon Caramanica,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Gay’s plaint is a variation of the good speakers are born belief.
—
Jerry Weissman,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
And to be perfectly fair, the New Deal had seven or eight big years of operation (the plaints about the Supreme Court etc. blocking reforms being so many excuses).
—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2024
Goldberger's plaint is overstated.
—
Michelle Goldberg,
Star Tribune,
8 June 2021
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
But Barham plays the role both for plaints and for boasts.
—
Jon Caramanica,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Gay’s plaint is a variation of the good speakers are born belief.
—
Jerry Weissman,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
And to be perfectly fair, the New Deal had seven or eight big years of operation (the plaints about the Supreme Court etc. blocking reforms being so many excuses).
—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2024
Goldberger's plaint is overstated.
—
Michelle Goldberg,
Star Tribune,
8 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaint
Noun
-
Moments of humor sit alongside lamentation and ritual intensity, underscoring the exhibition’s refusal of a single, fixed reading.
-
For Marks, the blues isn’t about lamentation.
Noun
-
The case was initiated in August by an asylum-seeker from Guatemala who was arrested after leaving a routine immigration hearing in San Francisco and then held without access to adequate hygiene, sanitation, medical care and legal advice, according to the complaint.
-
On behalf of Aliya Rahman, the MacArthur Justice Center and a civil rights law firm filed a complaint with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, requesting an investigation.
Noun
-
After a second of consideration, Naim slams the grate shut to the monster’s wails, and the audience’s relief.
-
Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.
Noun
-
Test recordings sounded clear and full, and the noise cancellation completely blocked out the buzz and whine of my 3D printer.
-
Lee's voice has always been Sui generis, a distinctive instrument caught between a whine and a yelp yet immediately recognizable.
Noun
-
Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria and said after that match his tears came following some tough days not related to soccer.
-
Lionel Messi was overcome with emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria, and said after that match his tears came following some tough days not related to soccer.
Noun
-
One fan, wearing perhaps the only white Ecuador jersey in the stadium, loudly aired his grievances near the team bus after the conclusion of the game.
-
That 7 percent of Makerfield voters chose Restore—even in the knowledge that doing so might deprive another anti-immigration party of victory—points to a deep well of racial grievance and anti-establishment anger that even Farage cannot command.
Noun
-
For some, the good news started with a whisper — or a baby’s cry.
-
Such efforts at avoidance would lead to cries to apply payroll taxes to non-salary incomes such as dividends.
Noun
-
Every entrepreneur in an emerging market knows the lament about brain drain — the people and the capital that leave for richer markets, treated as a pure loss to mourn.
-
His one big lament was missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
Cite this Entry
“Plaint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaint. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
