plaintive
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English pleintif, plentyff, from French plaintif (“aggrieved, lamenting”), from plainte (“lament, complaint”); see plaint. Doublet of plaintiff.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
plaintive (comparative more plaintive, superlative most plaintive)
- Sounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.
- a typically plaintive song from Radiohead
- I can see by your plaintive smile something is wrong, so spill it.
Related terms edit
Translations edit
Sorrowful, mournful or melancholic
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Further reading edit
- “plaintive”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “plaintive”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Adjective edit
plaintive