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Synonyms

plight

1 American  
[plahyt] / plaɪt /

noun

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

    to find oneself in a sorry plight.
plight 2 American  
[plahyt] / plaɪt /

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 British  
/ 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

    1. to make a promise of marriage

    2. to give one's solemn promise

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
plight 2 British  
/ plaɪt /

noun

  1. a condition of extreme hardship, danger, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See predicament.

Other Word Forms

  • plighter noun
  • unplighted adjective

Etymology

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”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The everlasting draw of “The Forsyte Saga” to both men and women, then, is in the way these stories capture the plight of patriarchal pressures, spoken and implied.

From Salon

"Extending our survey season and location means a better range of data, which will provide further insights into the plight of our insects."

From BBC

Seeing the stark reality of Diaz's plight on screen is quite an eye-opener.

From BBC

It would be a sign of their plight should they go to find him.

From BBC

Near another terminal, college freshman Juliana Tonelete told AFP that while she sympathised with the plight of drivers, her own financial situation took priority.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.