plaintive
adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L339312 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpleɪntɪv/
adj
Etymology: From Middle English pleintif, plentyff, from Old French pleintif (“aggrieved, lamenting”) (whence modern French plaintif), from plainte (“lament, complaint”); see plaint. Doublet of plaintiff.
- Sounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.
“a typically plaintive song from Radiohead”
“I can see by your plaintive smile something is wrong, so spill it.”