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.
Only one of the castrati lived to record: Allesandro Moreschi, who sang with a plaintive, eerily haunting bleat, on discs made in the Sistine Chapel between 1902 and 1904.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
A “freewinstonwalters” TikTok account, which had more than 31,000 followers, regularly shared photos and videos of Walters, sometimes shirtless, often set to plaintive music.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The plaintive cry is that young Scottish footballers get a chance to play a part in all this, that clubs trust their youth for a change.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The most egregious case is Sturgis’ Ru, who transforms over the course of the play from a jittery wreck into a vengeful, plaintive monster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Which is my plaintive way of saying that I do worry about you and Franny when I get a chance, but not nearly so often as I’d like to.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
Vocabulary lists containing plaintive
Grade 11, List 1
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Things Fall Apart
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Night
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