1
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
a plangent, haunting song about a long-ago love
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loud
marked by a high volume of sound
plangent organ music filled the church
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ringing
marked by conspicuously full and rich sounds or tones
the strong, plangent tones of a Louis Armstrong trumpet solo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plangent
The polar figures of 16th-century Italian choral music, Palestrina, the Apollonian master of elegant counterpoint, and Gesualdo, the violent renegade of plangent harmonies, meet on the same program presented by Miller Theater.
—
Justin Davidson, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Musically, the song is indistinguishable from most modern country — a plangent guitar melody leading the way, followed by the sinister percussive drop of a trap beat.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, that warhorse of English traditionalism, is mentioned six times, and his plangent music—invoking a lost, idyllic England; a greener, more pleasant land—could easily be the novel’s soundtrack.
—Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024
The Tokyo composer and guitarist riffs on themes of real and imagined memories and the passage of time in plangent compositions replete with airy tones, childlike melodies, and molasses-thick smears of resonant harmony.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 6 Oct. 2023
Indeed the music, with its banging, techno-style beats looped against plangent piano, analogizes Jamal’s predicament rather perfectly.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 25 Mar. 2023
That deft level of craft is maintained throughout, while the aching musical bed by contemporary composer Nico Muhly adds just the right tone of plangent despair tinged with hope.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Justin Davidson, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Musically, the song is indistinguishable from most modern country — a plangent guitar melody leading the way, followed by the sinister percussive drop of a trap beat.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, that warhorse of English traditionalism, is mentioned six times, and his plangent music—invoking a lost, idyllic England; a greener, more pleasant land—could easily be the novel’s soundtrack.
—Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024
The Tokyo composer and guitarist riffs on themes of real and imagined memories and the passage of time in plangent compositions replete with airy tones, childlike melodies, and molasses-thick smears of resonant harmony.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 6 Oct. 2023
Indeed the music, with its banging, techno-style beats looped against plangent piano, analogizes Jamal’s predicament rather perfectly.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 25 Mar. 2023
That deft level of craft is maintained throughout, while the aching musical bed by contemporary composer Nico Muhly adds just the right tone of plangent despair tinged with hope.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plangent
Adjective
-
The atmosphere at Charlie Kirk's memorial in Glendale, Arizona, is anything but mournful.—
Amanda Castro
Mandy Taheri
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
-
So mournful the distant owl in Black Brooks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Anyone who’s had a peaceful fall day interrupted by the loud sound of a leaf blower is likely to have a little more affection for leaf rakes.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Kyiv awoke to loud explosions, drones flying overhead and air defenses booming.—
Pavel Polityuk,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But the first five innings Tuesday were a ringing endorsement for the Dodgers’ cautious approach to Ohtani’s rehab and return from a second Tommy John surgery.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Bravo to Netflix for their ringing endorsement of biodiversity with its commitment to purchase Funga’s carbon credits.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
16 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
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That was the sound of Blackwell’s game-deciding block, followed by the deafening final eruption from the stands of Allegiant Stadium.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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And now that Survivor 50 has already been cast and filmed, that drumbeat is almost deafening.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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First-round defensive lineman Shemar Stewart was inactive Monday night due to an ankle injury and has had a quiet start so far.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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Try looking at two one-way flights Flight aggregators, such as Google Flights, will display only round-trip flights from a single airline or two one-way flights from partner airlines.—
Michelle Baran,
AFAR Media,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Copeland’s mother, Maria Copeland, posted about her daughter’s funeral arrangements on Facebook.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The boy was identified as Jeremiah Gonzalez on the page, which his family started to help with funeral costs.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Arriving in January, the California Post will be Murdoch’s transplant of his right-leaning tabloid the New York Post, replete with shrill headlines and randy gossip.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
11 Sep. 2025
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One option is to simply double down on the existing approach and become shriller.—
Robert G. Eccles,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plangent. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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