Meaning & use
plaintive
Last updated
UK/ˈpleɪntɪv/
US/ˈpleɪntɪv/
Meaning
adjectivecomparableliterary
Sounding sad and mournful, often with a feeling of longing.
Grammar: Gradable: a plaintive sound, a more plaintive cry.
Patterns
- a plaintive sound
- a plaintive cry
- a plaintive voice
The violin played a plaintive melody that moved everyone.
We heard the plaintive cry of a lonely bird.
She spoke in a plaintive tone, as if begging for help.
Word forms
| comparative | more plaintive |
|---|---|
| superlative | most plaintive |
Common combinations
- plaintive cry
- The plaintive cry of the wolf echoed through the valley.
- plaintive melody
- The song's plaintive melody stayed with me all day.
- plaintive voice
- He answered in a plaintive voice, hoping for sympathy.
- plaintive sound
- A plaintive sound came from the old piano.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mournful
- Expresses sadness, often for someone who has died; plaintive often suggests a sound that expresses longing or mild sorrow.
- sorrowful
- A general word for feeling or showing deep sadness; plaintive is more specific to sounds and often softer.
- wistful
- Shows a gentle sadness mixed with longing, often in expressions or looks; plaintive is more about sounds.
Opposites
Word family
- plaintively adverb
- In a plaintive manner: 'She sang plaintively.'
- plaintiveness noun
- The quality of being plaintive.
Commonly confused: plaintive or plaintiff?
plaintive vs plaintiff
A plaintiff is a person who brings a lawsuit; plaintive means sounding sad.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'plaintive' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Plaintive' describes a sad, mournful sound, so 'plaintive wail' fits. The other options describe happiness or victory, which contradict the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plaintive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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