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Definition of plight - 6 dictionary results

plight

1  [plahyt]
Use plight in a Sentence
–noun
a condition, state, or situation, esp. an unfavorable or unfortunate one: to find oneself in a sorry plight.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME plit fold, condition, bad condition < AF (c. MF pleit plait ) fold, manner of folding, condition; sp. appar. influenced by plight 2 in obs. sense “danger”

Synonyms:
case. See predicament.

plight

2  [plahyt]
–verb (used with object)
1. to pledge (one's troth) in engagement to marry.
2. to bind (someone) by a pledge, esp. of marriage.
3. to give in pledge, as one's word, or to pledge, as one's honor.
–noun
4. Archaic. pledge.
Origin:
bef. 1000; (n.) ME; OE pliht danger, risk; c. D plicht, G Pflicht duty, obligation; (v.) ME plighten, OE plihtan (deriv. of the n.) to endanger, risk, pledge; c. OHG phlichten to engage oneself, MD plihten to guarantee

Related forms:
plighter, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To plight
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.  A solemn pledge, as of faith.

[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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

plight  (v.)
"pledge," obsolete except in archaic plight one's troth, from O.E. pligtan "endanger," verb form of pliht "danger, risk," from P.Gmc. *pleg- (cf. O.E. pleon "to risk the loss of, expose to danger," O.Fris., M.Du. plicht "care, carefulness," O.H.G. pfliht, Ger. pflicht "obligation, duty," M.Du. plien "to answer for, guarantee").

plight  (n.)
"condition or state (usually bad)," c.1175, from Anglo-Fr. plit, O.Fr. pleit "condition" (13c.), originally "way of folding," from V.L. *plictum, from L. plicitum, neut. pp. of L. plicare "to fold, lay" (see ply (v.)). Originally in neutral sense (as in modern Fr. en bon plit "in good condition"), sense of "harmful state" is probably from convergence with plight (v.) via notion of "entangling risk, pledge or promise with great risk to the pledger."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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