Jennsen understood the plaintive calls Betty made toward the house.

I heard the plaintive call of an owl, deep in the forest, and another answering.

However, as some people have noted, plaintive calls for emergency "help" and charity are not sufficient responses.

Not a plaintive call from a frightened patient, just a blunt statement.

He thrust his trunk back into the sea and continued his plaintive call.

"My love," came again the low, plaintive call, like a bird unseen in the night.

It was like hearing one bird answer another when you can only hear the reply and not the plaintive, original call.

And the plaintive call through all the solar system proved that it was returning.

One senior lieutenant made a plaintive call for funds.

The second movement "introduces its plaintive call for a common humanity," we are told.