Plight Meaning
/plaɪt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA dire or unfortunate situation.
nounA (neutral) condition or state.
Sentence Examples
The documentary is meant to raise consciousness about the plight of the poor.
They understood my plight.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The homeless family's ____ was so terrible they had no food or shelter.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The documentary highlighted the desperate ____ of refugees living in overcrowded camps.
Word Origin & History
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”)).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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, archived from the original on 24 Mar 2012:
"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:
"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 […], →OCLC:
"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, →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The homeless family's ____ was so terrible they had no food or shelter.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The documentary highlighted the desperate ____ of refugees living in overcrowded camps.