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.
Mumford & Sons led the 2010s folk revival that minted a generation of plaintive, earnest singer-songwriter acts atop the charts.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
Tom Petty vowing not to back down sounds plaintive and aspirational.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
As Rangers people run around with their hair on fire, those words appear more plaintive than ever.
From BBC • Nov. 1, 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
“I never go back to my land,” she said, her voice plaintive.
From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper
Vocabulary lists containing plaintive
Grade 11, List 1
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Things Fall Apart
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Night
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