# plaintive

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈpleɪntɪv/ · frequency rank #55,648

## Definitions
1. Sounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/plaintive