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Plaintive

/plˈeɪntɪv/
C1
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(adj) Sounding sorrowful, mournful or melancholic.

The plaintive melody broke her heart.
He accompanies his songs with plaintive chords played on a poor-quality zither.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The child's ____ cry echoed through the empty house as she searched for her missing toy.

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