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
-
Savneet Talwar was reportedly suspended from teaching and is facing a disciplinary investigation following a student’s complaint about a case study assigned in April.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 June 2026
-
Enforcement of the zoning code would be complaint-driven, and violators would be given 30 days to comply with regulations.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
-
The wail of fire trucks can be heard as passersby stopped to record the scene.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Lee's voice has always been Sui generis, a distinctive instrument caught between a whine and a yelp yet immediately recognizable.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
The guilt of a stack of unread books is a low constant whine at the back of your head.—
Philip Maymin,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Korda gasped, covered her mouth, waved to the crowd and wiped away tears.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
Just over an hour into opening statements into the vessel homicide and manslaughter trial of George Pino, who crashed his boat into a Biscayne Bay channel marker almost four years ago, killing a teenage girl, the Doral real estate broker broke down in tears.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
If those with the strongest case to make against injustice could refuse the psychic consolations of victimhood, then there is something especially unbecoming in white Americans learning to speak the language of racial grievance.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
-
Writing this column has truly fed my soul, never mind given me an outlet for all manner of grief and grievances, whining and winnings.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The band members were surprised when fans unfurled a banner emblazoned with their lyrics, singing them as a rallying cry.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
The following Story shows Emmy hooked up to various wires and tubes in the hospital as Morgan holds her in her arms and cries.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The saxophone sounds tangled in lament and inquisition before skronking what sounds like an emergency signal.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
11 June 2026
-
But underneath, this micro-budget B movie is a jaundiced lament for the death of American individualism.—
Time,
Time,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plaint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaint. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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