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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Recent Examples of plaintive
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
The threat of retaliation is no joke, but the Senator’s plaintive cry does not exactly meet the demands of the moment.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
John compared Autumn Variations to his own downtempo, plaintive 1970 album Tumbleweed Connection—and reminded him his music career should not be thought of as a constantly ascending escalator.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plaintive
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
The threat of retaliation is no joke, but the Senator’s plaintive cry does not exactly meet the demands of the moment.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
John compared Autumn Variations to his own downtempo, plaintive 1970 album Tumbleweed Connection—and reminded him his music career should not be thought of as a constantly ascending escalator.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plaintive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaintive
Adjective
-
Ortega’s deadpan remains impeccable and her mournful gaze allows for viewer projection that goes beyond anything on the page, but Wednesday too often comes across as a piece of an ensemble at this point.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
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Just over two weeks after the death of his father, Ozzy Osbourne, the metal legend’s youngest child, Jack Osbourne, shared a mournful tribute on Instagram.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
When Ozzy Osbourne was honored with a funeral procession that snaked through his hometown of Birmingham, fans covered the Black Sabbath bridge and bench with flowers, artwork, personal messages, merchandise, and more.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
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Fans flocked to the streets of Birmingham on July 30 for a funeral procession for Osbourne, who was later laid to rest in a private family ceremony in the city.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While the feline escaped unscathed, Lex admitted the incident left her heartbroken.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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That’s not to say Moore wasn’t heartbroken or incredibly stressed out during the wildfires.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, Holland’s bitter ex-spy Harcourt and Brooks’ empathetic Adebayo are mostly on Chris’ side from the jump this season.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Drag slider compare photos Before After Bakhmut After months of bitter clashes since July 2022, the Donetsk city of Bakhmut, north of Avdiivka, fell to Russian forces in May 2023.—
Ellie Cook
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plaintive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaintive. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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