Plaintive

Pronunciation: /ˈpleɪntɪv/

Definitions of plaintive

adjective expressing sorrow or melancholy; mournful

Example Sentences

A1 The puppy let out a plaintive whine when it couldn't find its toy.

A2 She sang a plaintive song that brought tears to the audience's eyes.

B1 The plaintive cry of the lost child echoed through the forest.

B2 The old man's plaintive plea for help tugged at the heartstrings of passersby.

C1 Her plaintive voice carried a sense of longing and melancholy that touched everyone in the room.

C2 The hauntingly plaintive melody of the violin solo left the audience in awe.

Examples of plaintive in a Sentence

formal The singer's plaintive voice filled the concert hall with emotion.

informal She let out a plaintive cry when she realized she had lost her phone.

slang His plaintive whining about the situation was getting on everyone's nerves.

figurative The abandoned puppy let out a plaintive howl as it searched for its owner.

Grammatical Forms of plaintive

• past tense: plaintived
• plural: plaintives
• comparative: more plaintive
• superlative: most plaintive
• present tense: plains
• future tense: will plaintive
• perfect tense: have plaintive
• continuous tense: is plaintiving
• singular: plaintive
• positive degree: plaintive
• infinitive: to plaintive
• gerund: plaintiving
• participle: plaintived

Origin and Evolution of plaintive

First Known Use: 0015 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'plaintive' originated from the Latin word 'plangere' which means to strike or beat the chest in grief.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'plaintive' has retained its original meaning of expressing sorrow or melancholy, but has also come to be used in a broader sense to describe any expression of sadness or longing.