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
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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
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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.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
For Marks, the blues isn’t about lamentation.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The fraud scheme netted $20 million from fraudulent loans that Davis and Evins used to buy real estate, jewelry and cars, according to the complaint.—
Ryan Gaydos OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
After Navarro filed a complaint alleging the work had been wrongly kept from her, a Madrid judge, acting with the support of prosecutors, ordered Spain’s Ministry of Culture to take custody of it citing its potential importance to the country’s historical heritage.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The resulting wail is certainly not kitten-like, sounding more like a cross between a sport bike and a completely uncorked race car.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Mitchell has made the point before that every new technology brings wails that the fish won’t survive.—
Mike McFeely,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both motors stay at or below 45 dBA even at full power, something that will genuinely surprise anyone used to the whine of current-generation motors.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 10,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The whine from that straight-cut gearbox alone is painfully loud, say nothing of the wide-open exhaust on the 4.0 L flat-six.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Through your tears, see a brief, shimmering vision of What Might Have Been.—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
My eyes, raw and stinging, now filled with their own salty tears.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
If included, this passage would have been the twenty-eighth grievance, and the longest in the document.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The events at Haymarket Square contributed significantly to the elevation of labor grievances to national prominence.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
If recent history repeats, new cries could come from the crowd, too.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
The handwritten note is the part that will actually make her cry, so do not skip that step.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This morning, the eminent critic Dwight Garner published a lament for the institutional book critic—via his own institution, The New York Times.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The sinew between Thundercat and Tame Impala is thick and obvious—one reason that Bruner doesn’t need ubiquitous Kevin Parker’s lethargic laments.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plaint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaint. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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