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Glite Dictionary
plaintiveness

plaintiveness

8.3
A sad sound or feeling that shows someone feels sorrow
  • noun
  • /ˈpleɪntɪvnəs/
translation icon : tristeza
  • His poem captured the plaintiveness of lost love.

Examples

  • He spoke with a plaintiveness that made everyone in the room feel the heaviness of his sadness.

  • The plaintiveness of the music moved everyone in the audience.

  • He spoke with a plaintiveness that revealed his hidden sorrow.

  • There was a distinct plaintiveness in her voice as she recounted the story.

  • The plaintiveness of her voice made everyone feel her sorrow.

  • The plaintiveness in her voice revealed her deep sorrow over the loss of her friend.

  • The plaintiveness of the song brought tears to her eyes, reminding her of happier times.

Synonyms

sadness
vsplaintiveness
229 1.0

A feeling of being unhappy

expresses that feeling outwardly instead of simply feeling it
poignancy
vsplaintiveness
5 8.0

A strong, sad feeling that moves you

expresses sadness itself rather than mainly causing emotion
somberness
vsplaintiveness
  • US
1 6.5

A serious, sad mood that feels quiet and heavy

expresses sadness rather than mainly a serious tone
pathos
vsplaintiveness
  • Literature
1 7.5

A quality in art or speech that makes people feel pity and deep sadness

expresses personal sadness rather than producing an emotional effect
mournfulness
vsplaintiveness
1 6.5

A deep, quiet feeling or look of sadness

expresses sadness more outwardly or clearly
weepiness
vsplaintiveness
6.1

A feeling that makes someone want to cry

expresses sadness more generally, not only through tears
tearfulness
vsplaintiveness
4.3

A feeling of having many tears and wanting to cry because of sadness

expresses sadness broadly, not limited to crying
sorrowfulness
vsplaintiveness
6.3

A deep feeling of sadness about a loss

expresses sadness outwardly rather than only feeling it inside

Antonyms

cheerfulness
4 1.0

A happy mood that makes you smile and helps others feel good

joyfulness
1 2.0

A strong feeling of happiness and excitement

How Sad

despair
210 3.5
mourning
8 3.9
plaintiveness
8.3
sorrow
243 2.1
sadness
229 1.0

Surface Forms

plaintiveness singular
plaintivenesses plural

Morphology

plaintiveness = plaintive (semi-transparent) = plaint + ive + ness

Formed regularly from the adjective 'plaintive' with the productive nominalizing suffix '-ness' to mean 'the quality of being plaintive'.

Etymology

Plaintiveness comes from the small word plaint, the same part you see in complaint, which once meant 'a sad complaint' or sorrow. So, plaintiveness is the quality of sounding sad or like someone making a quiet, sad plea.