PLAINT Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

plaint

noun

ˈplānt

Definition of plaint

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Gay’s plaint is a variation of the good speakers are born belief. — Jerry Weissman, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 This wry, lovelorn plaint is a cagey display of subtle dynamics and counterpoint on a lone electric guitar. — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaint

Noun

Ḥusayn’s death became for the Shiʿah a symbol of selfless resistance against worldly injustice and tyranny and is commemorated with lamentation each year on Ashura.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 July 2026
Moments of humor sit alongside lamentation and ritual intensity, underscoring the exhibition’s refusal of a single, fixed reading.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026

Definition of lamentation

Noun

By doing it this way, the kids had to put some thought into which items meant the most to them, and there were no complaints afterward.

— R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Arulampalam, who knew nothing of the campaign, received complaints from residents Monday and on Tuesday the citation was given with orders to clean up.

— Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of complaint

Noun

Mourners beat their chests rhythmically in the intense summer heat, the wails of women cutting through the noise as the body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was unveiled beneath a glass case at the Grand Mosalla.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
After a second of consideration, Naim slams the grate shut to the monster’s wails, and the audience’s relief.

— Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 June 2026

Definition of wail

Noun

The crowd erupted, some cheering and others brought to tears, a collective wave of emotion rolling over us as the sky went dark.

— Annissa Durar, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026
Through tears, Duarte described seeing footage of four men who wore ski masks and carried rifles getting out of a minivan and forcing her son and Ruelas into a second car.

— Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of tears

Noun

Witness accounts describe chaotic scene In the video, as many as five officers can be seen, and shrieks, screams, and cries are heard.

— Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
The accompanying image showed a pair of flip-flops adorned with Moore’s iconic cry-face on the left foot, while the right shows the actress making a more dramatic, less strained expression.

— Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of cry

Noun

Life begins as a fanfare — a regal entry heralded by brass — and ends as a solo cello lament and the serene acceptance of death as sung by a choir.

— Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Her laments are now laced with fury, as genocidal wars and murderous technologies join global warming in the twenty-first century’s third decade.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026