plight
/plaɪt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.46 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A dire or unfortunate situation.
noun
Responsibility for ensuing consequences; risk; danger; peril.
noun
Blame; culpability; fault; wrong-doing; sin; crime.
Example Sentences
- "Though we say we are quite clear about it and understand when someone uses the expression, unlike that other expression, maybe we're in the same plight with regard to them both."
- "Gosling's plight worsened when he was soon shown a red card for a foul on Martin."
- "Despite spending £1 billion of its own resources, that balanced budget became impossible and forced TfL to issue a 'Section 114' notice of impending financial plight and go to the government for support."
- "although hee live in as good plight and health as may be, yet he chafeth, he scoldeth, he brawleth, he fighteth, he sweareth, and biteth, as the most boistrous and tempestuous master of France[…]."
- "All wayes shee sought him to restore to plight, / With herbs, with charms, with counsel, and with teares[…]."
- "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"
Etymology
From Middle English plit (“fold, wrinkle, bad situation”), conflation of Middle English pliht, plight (“risky promise, peril”) (from Old English pliht "danger, risk"; see Etymology 2) and Anglo-Norman plit, plyte (“fold, condition”), from Old French pleit (“condition, manner of folding”) (from Vulgar Latin *plictum, from Latin plicitum (“fold”)).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: plit, plight, pliht, pleit, *plictum, plicitum