as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
the puppy's plaintive expression after we put the toy away was rather amusing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plaintive
Crickets and frogs and the plaintive call of the poorwill can also add intrigue to the darkness.
—
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025
Hayakawa is a plaintive storyteller who refuses to indulge in emotional cheats of any kind, and would rather a scene be impenetrably oblique than overexplain its purpose.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
This pageant of puppetry includes a flutter of butterflies, a goat with a plaintive bleat, a menagerie of wild animals and, at one point, a school of glowing fish.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
One longtime sufferer unleashes the gift of gab Fragrance
Royal Flush
An evocative scent created for the Duke of Windsor carries a note of plaintive decadence today
The Look From Here
The New Power Suit
How could one tiny piece of fabric be such a source of anxiety?
—Tuppence Middleton, Air Mail, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for plaintive
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025
Hayakawa is a plaintive storyteller who refuses to indulge in emotional cheats of any kind, and would rather a scene be impenetrably oblique than overexplain its purpose.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 May 2025
This pageant of puppetry includes a flutter of butterflies, a goat with a plaintive bleat, a menagerie of wild animals and, at one point, a school of glowing fish.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
One longtime sufferer unleashes the gift of gab Fragrance
Royal Flush
An evocative scent created for the Duke of Windsor carries a note of plaintive decadence today
The Look From Here
The New Power Suit
How could one tiny piece of fabric be such a source of anxiety?
—Tuppence Middleton, Air Mail, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for plaintive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaintive
Adjective
-
Lush cellos and mournful piano trills coexist with the overall less-is-more sound.—
Jae-Ha Kim,
Rolling Stone,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Similarly, the discreetly mournful compositions of Giorgio Matteo and Aki Oliviero’s score hover politely on the periphery of the (in)action, careful not to intrude.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
Her family is raising money to cover funeral expenses.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Following the boy’s death, donors raised about $30,000 in a GoFundMe campaign launched to help with funeral expenses.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And utterly heartbroken for Charlie’s young family.—
Amanda Castro
Gabe Whisnant
Anna Commander
Toby Meyjes
Shane Croucher
John Feng
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The woman noted that canceling the shower has left her heartbroken.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Creative differences led to a bitter falling out between Davies and Hodgson, who left the band in 1983.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
-
But to have the season’s only returning houseguest exit on a twist like this, and not even from gameplay, social standing or an eviction vote leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, to say the least.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plaintive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaintive. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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