adj

plaintive

PLAYN-tihv

Plaintive (adj) means sounding sad, mournful, or full of longing. Example: “The violin played a plaintive melody.”

adj

Sounding sad, mournful, or full of longing.

"The violin played a plaintive melody."

"She let out a plaintive cry when she realized her cat was missing."

How to use plaintive

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes a sound or tone that expresses sadness or longing, often a bit wistful.

Easily confused with

plaintiff →

Common pairings

plaintive cry plaintive melody plaintive voice

Word forms

more plaintive comparative, most plaintive superlative

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The violin played a _____ melody.

Etymology

From Old French pleintif, "lamenting," from plainte, "complaint" — a doublet of "plaintiff."

Origin: Old French

Rhymes for plaintive

five give dive live olive drive alive strive derive active arrive native

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Frequently asked questions

What does “plaintive” mean?

The word “plaintive” means sounding sad, mournful, or full of longing. In plain terms, describes a sound or tone that expresses sadness or longing, often a bit wistful.

How do you pronounce “plaintive”?

“Plaintive” is pronounced PLAYN-tihv (/ˈpleɪntɪv/ in IPA).

How do you use “plaintive” in a sentence?

Here is “plaintive” used in a sentence: “The violin played a plaintive melody.”

What part of speech is “plaintive”?

“Plaintive” is an adjective.

Where does the word “plaintive” come from?

The word “plaintive” comes from Old French. From Old French pleintif, "lamenting," from plainte, "complaint" — a doublet of "plaintiff.".