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
What plucks at the heartstrings with its Herb Alpert studio melancholy sounds a little fried here, the song’s plaintive, tentative charm buried under thrashing improvisation.
—
Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
Hoffhines’ plaintive message indicated that captive agents knew of the policy to deny claims.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 27 Feb. 2026
Williams' plaintive score is deceptively simple and moving, mostly comprised of melodic piano tracks.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
The jazz piano of Bill Evans was characterized by grace and poise, a lightness of touch yielding a plaintive depth of feeling, that belied a life beset with chaos and tragedy.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plaintive
Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
Hoffhines’ plaintive message indicated that captive agents knew of the policy to deny claims.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoman, 27 Feb. 2026
Williams' plaintive score is deceptively simple and moving, mostly comprised of melodic piano tracks.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
The jazz piano of Bill Evans was characterized by grace and poise, a lightness of touch yielding a plaintive depth of feeling, that belied a life beset with chaos and tragedy.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plaintive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaintive
Adjective
-
The hour-long event included mournful hymns, prayers and the laying of wreaths by the participants, which included representatives from many countries around the world.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
His face, always stationed somewhere halfway to hangdog, seems to gain 20 new creases carved deep into his skin, accentuating his mournful eyes and his excruciated, heartbroken smile.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
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
-
The search would have captured 3,000 users, including more than 1,000 attending a funeral service at the Islamic Center of New Mexico.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Mohammed Zaatari / APMourners gather around the coffin of Amal Khalil ahead of her funeral procession today.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At the end of the book, feeling heartbroken about Marcus’ involvement in Nancy’s death, Mary kills Howard by giving him too many painkillers.—
Max Gao,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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The heartbroken mother didn’t want to be identified, fearing for her family’s safety.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Sitting opposite an old people’s home in a residential corner of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, La Santé’s unassuming presence is only given away by the occasional wailing siren as prisoners are transported to and from the site.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Down 3-1 after dropping the first three games, little has gone right for the Penguins against their most bitter rival, and advancing will require an improbable and historic comeback.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The bitter legal fight between Elon Musk and the leading artificial intelligence firm, OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, may come down to a few pages in one executive's personal diary.—
Deepa Seetharaman,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plaintive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaintive. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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