Link Centre Dictionary

plight

UK/plaɪt/ US/ˈplaɪt/ fairly common
noun (2) verb (2)

noun

1.

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”
Synonyms
2.

a solemn pledge of fidelity

Synonyms

verb

1.
2.

promise solemnly and formally

  • “I pledge that will honor my wife”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English plight (“risk, danger”), from Old English pliht (“peril, risk, danger, damage, plight”), from Proto-West Germanic *plihti (“care, responsibility, duty”). A suffixed form of the root represented by Old English pleoh (“risk, danger, hurt, peril"; also "responsibility”) and plēon (“to endanger, risk”). Akin to Old English plihtan (“to endanger, compromise”). Cognate with Scots plicht (“responsibility, plight”), Dutch plicht, Low German Plicht (“duty”), German Pflicht (“duty”), Danish pligt (“duty”), Yiddish פֿליכט (flikht). More at pledge.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.