plight
noun
[ plʌɪt ]
• a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation.
• "we must direct our efforts towards relieving the plight of children living in poverty"
Similar:
predicament,
sorry condition,
sad state,
trouble,
difficulty,
mess,
dire straits,
extremity,
bind,
circumstances,
situation,
condition,
case,
state,
dilemma,
tight corner/spot,
hole,
pickle,
jam,
fix,
scrape,
Origin:
Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French plit ‘fold’. The -gh- spelling is by association with plight2.
plight
verb
• pledge or solemnly promise (one's faith or loyalty).
• "men to plighted vows were faithful"
Origin:
Old English plihtan ‘endanger’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch plicht and German Pflicht ‘duty’. The current sense is recorded only from Middle English, but is probably original, in view of the related Germanic words.
