noun
- the quality of expressing sadness or melancholy in a way that evokes sympathy
Examples
- The plaintiveness in her voice made everyone in the room feel sorry for her.
- There was a deep plaintiveness to the old song that brought tears to his eyes.
- The dog’s plaintiveness was evident as it whined by the door.
- She sang with such plaintiveness that the audience was moved to silence.
- The plaintiveness of the violin melody captured the composer’s grief perfectly.
- His letter was filled with a plaintiveness that revealed his loneliness.