as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
the man sighed plaintively as it became clear that he was getting nowhere with the officious bureaucrat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plaintively
Mia plaintively asks Philip at one particularly vulnerable moment.
—
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaintively
Adverb
-
Tom’s final epiphany related to his estranged son isn’t earned, but not because of Ruffalo; his performance cuts a fine line between bitterly self-destructive and warmly spiritual.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
San Francisco officials fought bitterly against Waymo and now-defunct Cruise robotaxis from General Motors, after their vehicles repeatedly blocked traffic and emergency vehicles, with Cruise the main perpetrator.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
But sadly, the no-muss, no-fuss era of a single must-have national rail pass is over.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
-
But sadly, after many rescue attempts, BSC closed for good in 2024, unable to overcome the financial issues that had plagued the school for decades.—
Katherine Polcari,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
There is a painfully revealing example in Emma where Miss Bates is telling Emma about Jane Fairfax’s prospects as a governess to the Sucklings’ friends the Smallridges.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
-
My day in court is painfully overdue.—
Stephanie Wenger,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plaintively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaintively. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share