Plaintive
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈpleɪntɪv/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Plaintive is an adjective meaning Sounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.
Meaning
Sounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.
Example Sentences
a typically plaintive song from Radiohead
I can see by your plaintive smile something is wrong, so spill it.
When my wife and I heard a plaintive whinny from our laundry room the other day, we knew that our old dryer had cycled its last load.
Synonyms for plaintive
Depending on context, synonyms include miserable, cheerless, comfortless, bleak, dark, morose.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include mournful, sorrowful, sad, wailful, moanful, elegiac.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.