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.
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
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
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
“You’ve never heard anything so painful as this almost continual plaintive crying lasting several days and several nights and with us not knowing what to do.”
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Vocabulary lists containing plaintive
Grade 11, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Things Fall Apart
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Night
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
