plaintive
adjective /ˈpleɪntɪv/
/ˈpleɪntɪv/
- sounding sad, especially in a weak, complaining way synonym mournful
- a plaintive cry/voice
Oxford Collocations DictionaryPlaintive is used with these nouns:- cry
- melody
- voice
- …
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French plaintif, -ive, from plainte ‘lamentation’, feminine past participle of plaindre ‘complain’, or from Old French plaint, from Latin planctus ‘beating of the breast’.