the.com/plight
A problem so bad it earned its own moody noun.
means A difficult, often dangerous situation someone is stuck in, usually one that calls for sympathy or rescue.
from English actually has two 'plight' words that merged in feel. One comes from Old English 'pliht,' meaning danger or risk, related to Dutch 'plicht' and German 'Pflicht' (duty). The other, now mostly surviving in 'plight your troth,' comes from Old English 'pliht' meaning a pledge, tied to the idea of risking something as a guarantee. The 'dire situation' sense we use today descended from the danger/risk branch, picking up its heavy, fateful tone over centuries of use.
- origin
- once meant a pledge or promise, not peril
- shift
- drifted from vow to misfortune by 1300s
- usage
- always serious, never used for mild inconvenience
- company
- pairs best with dire, desperate, or endangered