plight definition | Dictionary.com

plight

1 [plahyt]

–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.
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Link To plight

plight¹ (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.]

plight² (plīt)

tr.v. plight·ed, plight·ing, plights

To promise or bind by a solemn pledge, especially to betroth.
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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Plight

Plight\, obs. imp. & p. p. of Plight, to pledge. --Chaucer.

Plight

Plight\, obs. imp. & p. p. of Pluck. --Chaucer.

Plight

Plight\, v. t. [OE. pliten; probably through Old French, fr. LL. plectare, L. plectere. See Plait, Ply.] To weave; to braid; to fold; to plait.[Obs.] "To sew and plight." --Chaucer.

A plighted garment of divers colors. --Milton.

Plight

Plight\, n. A network; a plait; a fold; rarely a garment. [Obs.] "Many a folded plight." --Spenser.

Plight

Plight\, n. [OE. pliht danger, engagement, AS. pliht danger, fr. ple['o]n to risk; akin to D. plicht duty, G. pflicht, Dan. pligt. [root]28. Cf. Play.]

1. That which is exposed to risk; that which is plighted or pledged; security; a gage; a pledge. "That lord whose hand must take my plight." --Shak.

2. [Perh. the same word as plight a pledge, but at least influenced by OF. plite, pliste, ploit, ploi, a condition, state; cf. E. plight to fold, and F. pli a fold, habit, plier to fold, E. ply.] Condition; state; -- risk, or exposure to danger, often being implied; as, a luckless plight. "Your plight is pitied." --Shak.

To bring our craft all in another plight --Chaucer.

Plight

Plight\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Plighting.] [AS. plihtan to expose to danger, pliht danger;cf. D. verplichten to oblige, engage, impose a duty, G. verpflichten, Sw. f["o]rplikta, Dan. forpligte. See Plight, n.]

1. To pledge; to give as a pledge for the performance of some act; as, to plight faith, honor, word; -- never applied to property or goods. " To do them plighte their troth." --Piers Plowman.

He plighted his right hand Unto another love, and to another land. --Spenser.

Here my inviolable faith I plight. --Dryden.

2. To promise; to engage; to betroth.

Before its setting hour, divide The bridegroom from the plighted bride. --Sir W. Scott.

Language Translation for : plight

Spanish: drama, situación grave,

German: die Notlage,

Japanese: 苦境

More Translations »

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."

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