plight
Pluralplights
Verbplights, plighting, plighted
Pluralplights
Formsplights, plighting, plighted
- 1A very bad or unlucky situation that someone is in.
The news story was about the plight of animals in the burned forest.
We all felt for her plight when she lost her job and her home in the same month.
Similarpredicament, situation, difficulty
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- 2To make a promise of love and loyalty to the person you are marrying, during the wedding.
They stood before the priest and plighted their troth.
On their wedding day, the two of them will plight their love to each other.
Similarpledge
- 3
- 4A dangerous moment or situation.
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- 5Danger or risk, or being the one who must answer for what happens.
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- 6Blame for something wrong, or the wrong thing itself, like a sin or a crime.
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- 7Your job or duty, or the thing you are in charge of.
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- 8To put something at risk, or to offer it as a promise.
I plight my word that I will pay you back.
The knight plighted his life to keep the queen safe.
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- 9The condition or state that someone or something is in, good or bad.
The horses came home in good plight after the long trip.
After the spring rain, the wheat fields were in fine plight.
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- 10Something you risk or give as a promise that you will keep your word.
He left his watch as a plight until he could pay the bill.
Haply, when I shall wed, That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry Half my love with him, half my care and duty
c. 1603, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”Here, plight means pledge, the promise given when she weds.Note
- 11Being healthy and well.
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- 12To weave, braid, or fold something.
She plighted her hair into two long braids.
ſhe wore a plighted Garmend of divers colours,
1670, John Milton, “The Second Book”Here, plighted means folded or woven, a pleated garment.Note
- 13A net, a braid, or a fold, or rarely a piece of clothing.
Her hair hung down her back in one thick plight.
Many a folded plight.
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, plight means a fold or pleat in cloth.Note
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
From Middle English, mixing an old word for "danger" with a French word for "fold" or "condition".
From an Old English word meaning "danger" or "risk".
From the Middle English verb, which was made from the noun.
From an Anglo-Norman word meaning "fold".