Plaintively

Pronunciation: /ˈpleɪntɪvli/

Definitions of plaintively

adverb modifying or describing how something is done in a plaintive manner

Example Sentences

A1 The puppy plaintively whined for attention.

A2 She looked plaintively at her friend, hoping for help.

B1 The old man sang plaintively as he strummed his guitar.

B2 The singer sang plaintively, conveying deep emotions through her voice.

C1 The actor delivered his lines plaintively, moving the audience to tears.

C2 The violinist played plaintively, evoking a sense of longing in the listeners.

Examples of plaintively in a Sentence

formal The singer's voice rang out plaintively, expressing the deep emotions of the song.

informal She looked at him plaintively, hoping he would change his mind.

slang He whined plaintively about having to do his homework on a Friday night.

figurative The old house groaned plaintively in the wind, as if longing for its former glory.

Grammatical Forms of plaintively

• past tense: plaintively sighed
• plural: plaintively sighed
• comparative: more plaintively
• superlative: most plaintively
• present tense: plaintively sighs
• future tense: will plaintively sigh
• perfect tense: has plaintively sighed
• continuous tense: is plaintively sighing
• singular: plaintively
• positive degree: plaintively
• infinitive: to plaintively sigh
• gerund: plaintively sighing
• participle: plaintively sighed

Origin and Evolution of plaintively

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Old French

Story behind the word: The word 'plaintively' originated from the Old French word 'plaintif', which means mournful or sorrowful.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'plaintively' has retained its original meaning of expressing sorrow or sadness, but it has also come to be used more broadly to convey a sense of longing or melancholy in a plaintive manner.