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
-
The song closes with a coda of saz and mandolin, mournful and hopeful in equal measure.—
Molly Mary O’Brien,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2026
-
The plaintive melodies are mournful yet comforting.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
12 May 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
-
His father’s funeral visitation was held during a snowstorm on February weeknight.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
-
Vanity Fair was on the scene as Gaga transformed an aging Los Angeles luxury mall into moving performance art, complete with funeral horns, rose petals, and hundreds of her devoted fans.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
At the center of the story is Juan Faura, played by an impressive Iván Pellicer, a disillusioned and heartbroken young man apparently eager to die in combat.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Fans of Neese’s are heartbroken.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
15 May 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
-
But their styles could hardly be more different, and their feud has grown so bitter that their rivals are appealing to voters exhausted by the brawling.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
-
The verdict concludes a dramatic chapter in Musk and Altman’s bitter feud, and paves the way for OpenAI to go public, in one of the largest IPOs expected to date.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plaintive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaintive. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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