Word
plight
US/ˈpɫaɪt/
UK/plˈaɪt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a very difficult, sad, or dangerous situation that is hard to get out of. It is usually used to talk about the suffering of a specific group of people or animals.
n. a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation. Often used to highlight the suffering of a vulnerable group or to evoke empathy in formal or journalistic contexts.
Examples
“The charity works to improve the plight of homeless children.”
“After the flood, international news agencies began reporting on the desperate plight of the villagers who had lost their homes.”
“The documentary aims to shed light on the plight of refugees, documenting their arduous journey across borders and the systemic barriers they face upon arrival in a new country.”
Examples
simple
“The charity works to improve the plight of homeless children.”
contextual
“After the flood, international news agencies began reporting on the desperate plight of the villagers who had lost their homes.”
complex
“The documentary aims to shed light on the plight of refugees, documenting their arduous journey across borders and the systemic barriers they face upon arrival in a new country.”
Usage
Usually appears in the singular form and is frequently followed by the preposition 'of'.
Real-World Examples
“It’s not that people making decisions directly care about the plight of the middle classes,” he said.” “Fans of the cartoons, who had read about the film’s plight, took to the internet in their thousands to express discontent, as did members of the production crew.” 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”)).
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.
From Middle English plyghten, plyȝten, pleyȝten, pleiten, pliten, from the noun (see below).
From Middle English pliȝt, plight, plyt, pleit, from Anglo-Norman pleit (“pleat, fold”). More at plait.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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