plaintive

English

Etymology

From Old French plaintif (“aggrieved, lamenting”), from plainte (“lament, complaint”); see plaint.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpleɪntɪv/

Adjective

plaintive (comparative more plaintive, superlative most plaintive)

  1. Sounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.
    a typically plaintive song from Radiohead

Translations

Further reading

  • plaintive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • plaintive in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

French

Adjective

plaintive

  1. feminine singular of plaintif
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