plaintive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As he sings on “Come Back,” the album’s plaintive opener, “I had a really strange reaction, delayed I think by simple fear, if I don’t listen I can’t hear.”
From Salon • May 15, 2026
Mumford & Sons led the 2010s folk revival that minted a generation of plaintive, earnest singer-songwriter acts atop the charts.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
Gladiator II and Hamnet star Mescal has a huge social media fanbase and mentioned last December he was loving a song called Evelyn, a plaintive folk ballad from Michael's second album Thin White Road.
From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026
Tom Petty vowing not to back down sounds plaintive and aspirational.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
He drew a plaintive chord from the woodharp.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Vocabulary lists containing plaintive
Grade 11, List 1
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Things Fall Apart
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Night
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