Master confusing words with ease
Plaintiff vs. Plaintive
Plaintiff
/ˈpleɪntəf/Examples:
The plaintiff's lawyer presented a strong case in court.A settlement was reached between the plaintiff and defendant.The judge found in favor of the plaintiff after reviewing evidence.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Plaintive
/ˈpleɪntɪv/Examples:
The plaintive cry of the lone wolf echoed through the night.Her voice held a plaintive note as she recounted the tale.A plaintive melody drifted from the old violin in the corner.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Plaintiff is a person involved in a lawsuit. Remember it by the tiff at the end, which sounds like tiff—a small argument, like those in court.
- Plaintive describes a sound that is mournful and sorrowful. Remember this by associating plaintive with lamentive, another word related to expressing sorrow.
- To choose between them, think of plaintiff for people (specifically in legal terms) and plaintive for plaintive sounds (not people!).
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