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
A growing legion of fans have this sort of visceral connection with Kahan’s plaintive folk-pop.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 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
The resulting lush and exotic soundscape, featuring plaintive pan flute and sprinkled with birdsong, turned out to be perfect for the game’s spooktastic forest levels.
From New York Times • Nov. 19, 2024
A cock was crowing, a drawn-out, plaintive sound that seemed very close close by.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Vocabulary lists containing plaintive
Grade 11, List 1
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Things Fall Apart
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Night
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