Definition of "plight"

plight¹

/plaɪt/

noun
plural plights
1. A dire or unfortunate situation.
  Quotations
  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.
  2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 243c
  Gosling's plight worsened when he was soon shown a red card for a foul on Martin.
  2011 December 10, Arindam Rej, “Norwich 4-2 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport
  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.
  2020 June 17, Philip Haigh, “Capital for the capital to meet London's transport needs”, in Rail, page 28
2. (now rare) A (neutral) condition or state.
  Quotations
  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 […].
  1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 8, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […]
3. (obsolete) Good health.
  Quotations
  All wayes shee sought him to restore to plight, / With herbs, with charms, with counsel, and with teares […].
  1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie

plight²

/plaɪt/

noun
plural plights
1. (now chiefly dialectal) Responsibility for ensuing consequences; risk; danger; peril.
2. (now chiefly dialectal) An instance of danger or peril; a dangerous moment or situation.
3. (now chiefly dialectal) Blame; culpability; fault; wrong-doing; sin; crime.
4. (now chiefly dialectal) One's office; duty; charge.
5. (archaic) That which is exposed to risk; that which is plighted or pledged; security; a gage; a pledge.
  Quotations
  Haply, when I shall wed,That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carryHalf my love with him, half my care and duty
  c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene i]
verb
third-person singular simple present plights, present participle plighting, simple past and past participle plighted
1. (transitive, now rare) To expose to risk; to pledge.
2. (transitive) Specifically, to pledge (one's troth etc.) as part of a marriage ceremony.
3. (reflexive) To promise (oneself) to someone, or to do something.
  Quotations
  I ask what I have done to deserve it, one daughter hobnobbing with radicals and the other planning to plight herself to a criminal.
  1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, Harper Perennial, published 2007, page 226

plight³

/plaɪt/

verb
third-person singular simple present plights, present participle plighting, simple past and past participle plighted
1. (obsolete) To weave; to braid; to fold; to plait.
  Quotations
  ſhe wore a plighted Garmend of divers colours,
  1670, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , page 67

plight⁴

/plaɪt/

noun
plural plights
1. (obsolete) A network; a plait; a fold; rarely a garment.
  Quotations
  Many a folded plight.
  1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 26

Definition of "plight"

plight1

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plight2

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verb

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plight3

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plight4

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plight¹

plight²

plight³

plight⁴