plight

¹

[plahyt]

noun

1. a condition, state, or situation, especially an unfavorable or unfortunate one.

   to find oneself in a sorry plight.

plight

²

[plahyt]

verb (used with object)

1. to pledge (one's troth) in engagement to marry.

2. to bind (someone) by a pledge, especially of marriage.

3. to give in pledge, as one's word, or to pledge, as one's honor.

noun

1. Archaic.,  pledge.

plight

¹

/ plaɪt /

verb

1. to give or pledge (one's word)

   he plighted his word to attempt it

2. to promise formally or pledge (allegiance, support, etc)

   to plight aid

3. 1. to make a promise of marriage

   2. to give one's solemn promise

noun

1. archaic,  a solemn promise, esp of engagement; pledge

plight

²

/ plaɪt /

noun

1. a condition of extreme hardship, danger, etc

Other Word Forms

• plighter noun
• unplighted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plight¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English plit “fold, condition, bad condition,” from Anglo-French (cognate with Middle French pleit plait ) “fold, manner of folding, condition”; spelling apparently influenced by plight ² in obsolete sense “danger”

Origin of plight²

First recorded before 1000; (noun) Middle English; Old English pliht “danger, risk”; cognate with Dutch plicht, German Pflicht “duty, obligation”; (verb) Middle English plighten, Old English plihtan (derivative of the noun) “to endanger, risk, pledge”; cognate with Old High German phlichten “to engage oneself,” Middle Dutch plihten “to guarantee”

Word History and Origins

Origin of plight¹

Old English pliht peril; related to Old High German, German Pflicht duty

Origin of plight²

C14 plit, from Old French pleit fold, _plait ; probably influenced by Old English pliht peril, _plight ²

Synonym Study

See predicament.

Example Sentences

They sat around the campfire that night talking about the remarkable life of the man they had rescued and the lessons to be learned from his plight.

From Los Angeles Times

In recent months, Lammy said he was appalled and sickened by the plight of civilians in Gaza and called on Israel to allow in more aid.

From BBC

“The plight for legendary, midsized country music venues continues to worsen.”

From Los Angeles Times

Ms Mohammed's personal plight was cited in a letter signed by 113 MPs calling for the government asking to allow biometric checking in Egypt or Jordan.

From BBC

"The financial plight of universities makes them very keen to fill their courses and they will be falling over themselves to sign up good potential students," he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• condition 
• predicament 
• quandary 
• trouble