V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary
plaintive
adjective
Definition: showing or expressing sadness--sorrowful
Synonyms: melancholy, sorrowful, woeful, pitiful, pathetic, mournful
Antonyms: cheerful, glad, happy
Tips: Plaintive is derived from the Old French plaintiff, which means "complaining." The origins are the same for the word plaintiff, "a person who has a complaint against someone and brings that person to court." To remember the word, it might help to think of a sad, complaining plaintiff. The adverb plaintively means, "in a plaintive manner."
Usage Examples:
The plaintive plaintiff cried throughout the trial. (mournful, woeful)
The plaintive song put everyone in a somber mood. (melancholy)
She looked at him plaintively as he said good-bye and got on the plane. (pathetically, sorrowfully) adverb
The abandoned kitten's plaintive cries led my mom to bring him home as our pet. (pitiful)
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