plight
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plight 1
(plīt)n.
A situation, especially a bad or unfortunate one. See Synonyms at predicament.
[Middle English, alteration (influenced by plight, risky promise or pledge) of plit, fold, wrinkle, situation, from Anglo-Norman, from Latin plicitum, neuter past participle of plicāre, to fold; see plek- in Indo-European roots.]
plight 2
(plīt)tr.v. plight·ed, plight·ing, plights
1. To promise or bind by a solemn pledge, especially to betroth.
2. To give or pledge (one's word or oath, for example).
n.
Idiom: A solemn pledge, as of faith.
plight (one's) troth
1. To become engaged to marry.
2. To give one's solemn oath.
[Middle English plighten, from Old English plihtan, to endanger, put at risk, from pliht, danger, risk; see dlegh- in Indo-European roots.]
plight′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
plight
(plaɪt)n
a condition of extreme hardship, danger, etc
[C14 plit, from Old French pleit fold, plait; probably influenced by Old English pliht peril, plight2]
plight
(plaɪt)vb (tr)
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. plight one's troth
a. to make a promise of marriage
b. to give one's solemn promise
n
archaic or dialect a solemn promise, esp of engagement; pledge
[Old English pliht peril; related to Old High German, German Pflicht duty]
ˈplighter n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
plight1
(plaɪt)n.
a distressing condition or situation: to be left in a sorry plight.
[1350–1400; Middle English plit fold, condition, bad condition < Anglo-French (c. Middle French pleit plait); sp. appar. influenced by plight2 in obsolete sense “danger”]
syn: See predicament.
plight2
(plaɪt)v.t.
1. to pledge (one's troth) in engagement to marry.
2. to give in pledge, as one's word, or to pledge, as one's honor.
3. to bind by a pledge, esp. of marriage.
n. 4. pledge.
[before 1000; (n.) Middle English; Old English pliht danger, risk; c. Dutch plicht, German Pflicht obligation; (v.) Middle English; Old English plihtan (derivative of the n.) to endanger, risk, pledge]
plight′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
plight
Past participle: plighted
Gerund: plighting
| Imperative |
|---|
| plight |
| plight |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  plight - a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one; "finds himself in a most awkward predicament"; "the woeful plight of homeless people"care - a cause for feeling concern; "his major care was the illness of his wife" difficulty - a condition or state of affairs almost beyond one's ability to deal with and requiring great effort to bear or overcome; "grappling with financial difficulties" box, corner - a predicament from which a skillful or graceful escape is impossible; "his lying got him into a tight corner" hot water - a dangerous or distressing predicament; "his views on race got him into political hot water" |
| 2. |  plight - a solemn pledge of fidelity | |
| Verb | 1. |  plight - give to in marriage vow - make a vow; promise; "He vowed never to drink alcohol again" |
| 2. | plight - promise solemnly and formally; "I pledge that I will honor my wife" vow - make a vow; promise; "He vowed never to drink alcohol again" covenant - enter into a covenant or formal agreement; "They covenanted with Judas for 30 pieces of silver"; "The nations covenanted to fight terrorism around the world" covenant - enter into a covenant |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
plight
noun difficulty, condition, state, situation, trouble, circumstances, dilemma, straits, predicament, extremity, perplexity the plight of Third World countries plagued by debts
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
plight 1
nounplight 2
verbnoun
A declaration that one will or will not do a certain thing:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
وَرْطَه، مأزِق
situace
forfatning
ahdinko
kringumstæîur, ástand
padėtis
stāvoklis, situācija
plight
1 [plaɪt] N → situación f gravethe country's economic plight → la grave situación económica del país
the plight of the shellfish industry → la crisis de la industria marisquera
to be in a sad or sorry plight → estar en un estado lamentable
plight
2 (o.f.) [plaɪt] VT [+ word] → dar, empeñarto plight one's troth → prometerse, dar su palabra de casamiento (to a)
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
plight
[ˈplaɪt] n → situation f critiquethe worsening plight of ... → la situation de plus en plus critique de ...
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
plight
1vt (liter) to plight one’s word → sein (Ehren)wort geben; to plight one’s troth (to somebody) (old, hum) → (jdm) die Ehe versprechen
plight
2Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
plight
[plaɪt] n → situazione f (critica)the country's economic plight → le gravi condizioni economiche del paese
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
plight
(plait) noun a (bad) situation or state. She was in a terrible plight, as she had lost all her money.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.