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.

The plaintive observation, ascribed to the early Victorian British Prime Minister Viscount Melbourne about the acerbically self-confident historian Thomas Babington Macaulay, remains the motto of the thoughtfully skeptical man through the ages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 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

I remember one particularly plaintive voice on the phone: “Steven, why are you lying to me? What have I done wrong?”

From Slate • Oct. 29, 2024

Thursday’s sold-out finale is a definitive retort to the plaintive cry among Oakland fans: Is there anyone that can stop this move?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2024

The wind blew a low, plaintive moan, the beginning note of a lamenting song.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin