1
as in lamentation
a crying out in grief
the day after the massacre the plaints of bereaved mothers and wives could be heard throughout the village
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in complaint
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
that taxes are too high is perhaps the most perennial of plaints
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plaint
This wry, lovelorn plaint is a cagey display of subtle dynamics and counterpoint on a lone electric guitar.
—
Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
And to be perfectly fair, the New Deal had seven or eight big years of operation (the plaints about the Supreme Court etc. blocking reforms being so many excuses).
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Goldberger's plaint is overstated.
—Michelle Goldberg, Star Tribune, 8 June 2021
The finished song is desolate but resilient, a hell of a plaint.
—Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2022
Somewhere between folk-rock plaint and short story, Margo Price sings about a pregnant woman at a clinic, with a hard-luck past and a tough decision to make.
—Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2022
The company said the decision to close came after the plaint failed to secure any capacity revenues in the latest auction held in May by the grid operator, PJM.
—Chris Mayhew, The Enquirer, 22 July 2021
These points are not the most cynical aspect of McConnell’s plaint, however.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2020
Among other things, this culture war plaint was a brazen gambit for a rich kid whose start-to-finish private education cost $500,000.
—Alexander Zaitchik, The New Republic, 25 July 2019
Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
And to be perfectly fair, the New Deal had seven or eight big years of operation (the plaints about the Supreme Court etc. blocking reforms being so many excuses).
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Goldberger's plaint is overstated.
—Michelle Goldberg, Star Tribune, 8 June 2021
The finished song is desolate but resilient, a hell of a plaint.
—Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2022
Somewhere between folk-rock plaint and short story, Margo Price sings about a pregnant woman at a clinic, with a hard-luck past and a tough decision to make.
—Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2022
The company said the decision to close came after the plaint failed to secure any capacity revenues in the latest auction held in May by the grid operator, PJM.
—Chris Mayhew, The Enquirer, 22 July 2021
These points are not the most cynical aspect of McConnell’s plaint, however.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2020
Among other things, this culture war plaint was a brazen gambit for a rich kid whose start-to-finish private education cost $500,000.
—Alexander Zaitchik, The New Republic, 25 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaint
Noun
-
One third of the way into Katie Kitamura’s 2017 novel, A Separation, its narrator asks an elderly Greek woman to demonstrate a traditional funeral lamentation.—
Lidija Haas,
Harper's Magazine,
3 Mar. 2025
-
History is littered with lamentations about distraction.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The recall began after a consumer made a complaint about the cans containing cashews.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Attorneys for the defendants will have the chance to answer the complaint and raise defenses.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The wail of sirens echoed through Marysville on Thursday morning as hundreds lined D Street to honor a fallen officer — the first Marysville police officer killed in the line of duty in more than a century — whose body was ushered to a Placer County funeral home.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Those harsh, swelling wails of warning become the film’s punctuating sonic motif — in stark contrast to the buoyant, babbling vocal interjections of Alexey Shmurak’s unexpected a cappella score, a literal chorus of humanity amid the chaos.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The motor produces a whine that is noticeable but not distracting.—
William Roberson,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Israel Hernandez heard the faint whine of sirens outside his Wilmington apartment and looked up just in time to see a minivan crash into another vehicle as police gave chase.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Walmart has issued a public response to a growing nationwide boycott that began Monday, as some Americans pledge to avoid the retail giant for a week in protest over a range of economic and political grievances.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
-
For all of the setbacks to trade liberalization, and the grievances expressed in Mr. Trump’s actions, the barriers have kept falling.—
Mark Landler,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
According to Desai, during the procedure the volunteer let out a cry of pain, but when questioned about it later the volunteer had no memory.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
-
As a result, a cacophony of cries to turn off the mics and burn the audio mixers is rising.—
Essence,
Essence,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Prominent among these are baseless critiques of the NAEP itself (lauded as the gold standard of achievement measures) and a lament that the science of reading — recently endorsed by more than 40 states — has failed.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
-
In classical terms, this begins as an Adagio in D minor — a slow lament led by a solo cello, that accelerates into a chaotic swell of strings.—
Kristen S. Hé,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
For those who cherish winter coats and cold-weather essentials, the start of spring and summer is a time of mourning.—
Cortne Bonilla,
Vogue,
4 Apr. 2025
-
That led to a period of mourning at PSA, a relatively small airline where the death of two pilots and two flight attendants, all Charlotte-based, had a deep impact on their co-workers.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plaint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaint. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share