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
The steady, unwavering empathy of her gaze encompasses a universe of tiny, interlaced incidents in which the zany entwines the plaintive, or the tragic the comic.
—
Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for plaintive
Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for plaintive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaintive
Adjective
-
On the soundtrack, mournful wailing music presents her as a tragic character.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
2 June 2026
-
The pair end the episode romantically riding together with a mournful song playing, which is akin to Dutton-family love-making.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
25 May 2026
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
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Archaeologists excavating an ancient cemetery in Cairo have found a cache of burial objects that could shed new light on funeral practices in one of Egypt‘s most important religious centers.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
1 June 2026
-
Wotus coached third base for four games last week while Borg was in the Dominican Republic to attend funeral services for his grandmother.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Ali later finds her, a moment that leaves him completely heartbroken, before testing the drugs and confirming they were laced with fentanyl.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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Horace leaves Hollywood and a heartbroken but determined Aaron behind.—
Meredith Maran,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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This collection of poems—Orr’s thirteenth—bears bitter witness to environmental degradation, moral corruption, and the aging of a body and of a generation, all viewed from a bird’s eye, wrapped in the language and tone of myth.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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Latest in bitter back-and-forth The sour words about each candidate’s PAC connections are only the latest in a bitter back-and-forth between the two Democrat women.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plaintive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaintive. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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