[PLAYN-tiv]
adjective
Expressive of sorrow or melancholy.
The poor bastard sat there looking plaintive while I got dressed and explained my pussy was “closed for business.”
Cite this Entry
Modern Language Association (MLA Style)
“Plaintive.” The Effin’ Word, The Effin’ Word, https://effinwords.com/dictionary/plaintive. Accessed 9 May 2025.
The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago Style)
The Effin’ Word, s.v. “plaintive”, accessed May 9, 2025, https://effinwords.com/dictionary/plaintive.
American Psychological Association (APA Style)
The Effin’ Word. (n.d.). Plaintive. In The Effin’ Word. Retrieved May 9, 2025, from https://effinwords.com/dictionary/plaintive