2 uses
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Definition
expressing sadness — sometimes with a plea for help
- He concluded his plaintive melody, a very simple performance, demanding no great skill; and she waited, thinking another might be begun.3 — The Rally (45% in)
- And then her cooing voice, plaintive in expostulation, disturbed the darkness, the velvet touch of her lips passed over his brow, and he could distinguish in the air the warmth of her breath.5 — The Woman Pays (49% in)
There are no more uses of "plaintive" in Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
Typical Usage
(best examples)