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
Magaletti ventures a tentative introduction of brushes on snares; following the muted peal of distant thunder, upsammy chimes in with a plangent synthesizer sequence reminiscent of Arovane and other IDM producers from around the turn of the millennium.
—
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
Anyone can strike a piano key and generate a note Vladimir Horowitz would be proud of, but getting one plangent tone out of a clarinet is a real triumph.
—Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2025
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
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
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
Anyone can strike a piano key and generate a note Vladimir Horowitz would be proud of, but getting one plangent tone out of a clarinet is a real triumph.
—Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2025
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
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 drama can stir up nostalgia and mournful emotions, and feels personal to many.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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On the soundtrack, mournful wailing music presents her as a tragic character.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
If someone encounters a bobcat, the agency recommends yelling or making loud noises to scare it off.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The most powerful voices right now aren’t always the loudest or the most visible.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
On the other, giving up 24 goals in a five-game loss to a team that immediately forgets how to score and gets swept isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of a team being close to contending.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
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Low-end instruments are often inaudible or indistinct when played simultaneously, and the metallic ringing returns.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
12 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
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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
-
The bear was almost on top of us when, with a deafening roar, the shot from both barrels smacked into that enormous shaggy head.—
Anton Money,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
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The heeling of the ship, the deafening blast of cannon!—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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After gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the country had tried and failed to make FIFA’s global jamboree on seven occasions, three times coming within one match (or round) of a place in the tournament.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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The train departs from the Santa Fe Depot and traces the Arkansas River on a 24-mile round-trip journey through granite cliffs, some of which stretch more than 1,000 feet above the tracks.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Christ Temple Apostolic Church-Sacramento said her family is still arranging funeral details and did not share when the service would be.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
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Afghan men gather to offer funeral prayers for Pakistani airstrike victims at Mani village in Spera district, Khost province on June 10, 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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The chaos is still an acceptable price to pay for Birney’s expertly offputting performance, a shrill mania that gets increasingly comic over time.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Some cymbal hits came across as slightly shrill thanks to the high-mid emphasis.—
Christian de Looper,
PC Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plangent. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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