All words

plight

Meaning

A serious and unfortunate state of affairs.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

In front of their friends and family, Maria and Tom plight their love to each other. They give their promise to stay together no matter what. In this moment, their words are a pledge and both feel the weight of what they are agreeing to.

He had nothing left to give. To plight his word that he would repay the debt was all he could do, a promise to secure the loan. He hoped it was enough.

Tom plight his savings to help his sister start her bakery. Every penny he'd saved went into her business plan, trusting she would turn their family's financial struggles around. His commitment was total, believing in her dream more than his own security.

At the royal chicken wedding, Sir Cluck plights his feather to Lady Beak, promising to bring her worms every morning. The crowd of hens sighs in joy, while one rooster faints because he thought “plight” meant he had to do the chicken dance as a pledge!

Barnaby, in a pickle, had to plight his grandpa's prize-winning sock. He hoped his uncle would lend him cash, promising to get the sock back soon. Barnaby swore he'd plight his word on it, which was, honestly, a little smelly.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The farmer's plight was evident as he struggled to pay off his mounting debts. Each day, he worked tirelessly in the fields, hoping to earn enough money to free himself from the financial burden that weighed heavily on his shoulders. Despite his efforts, the bank still held his land as collateral, leaving him feeling trapped and unable to fully control his own destiny.

In a desperate plight to save their ancestral home, the family pledged their most valuable possessions to the bank. The weight of the responsibility bore down heavily on them, as they knew that if they failed to repay, they would lose everything they held dear.

In the dimly lit room, Emily's plight became painfully clear as she stared at the man standing before her, holding a gun to her head. She knew she had no choice but to give in to his demands, to engage in whatever he wanted in order to survive. The fear in her eyes reflected the desperation of her situation, knowing that her fate was now in the hands of this cruel stranger. As she trembled with terror, she prayed for a way out of this nightmare, knowing that her life would never be the same again.

In their wretched plight, the desperate villagers offered their meager possessions as a pledge to the ruthless raiders. They parted with their meager livestock, their meager stores of food, and even their cherished heirlooms, desperate to appease the relentless horde that threatened to destroy their homes and shatter their lives.

In the kingdom of Eldoria, the young princess found herself in a dire plight. Her father, the king, had foolishly wagered her hand in marriage in a game of chance with a wicked sorcerer. Now, the sorcerer demanded her as his bride, threatening to plunge the kingdom into darkness if she refused. Desperate to save her people, the princess knew she had no choice but to fulfill her father's foolish pledge. With a heavy heart, she prepared to face her destiny, hoping against hope that somehow, she could find a way to escape the sorcerer's clutches.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

On their wedding day, Clara and Daniel stand before their families to plight their love, giving their word with sincere vows. This act of plighting themselves is more than a promise; it is each person placing their trust and future in the hands of the other.

His family's survival was in his hands. He had to plight everything he owned, his ancestral home included, to the loan sharks to ensure they had food for the winter. The weight of their desperate need pressed down, leaving him little choice.

Sarah trembled as she plight her family farm as collateral for her brother's medical treatment. The bank's stern representative stared across the desk, waiting for her final commitment. With a shaky hand, she signed the documents, knowing everything her parents had worked for now hung in the balance.

At the town’s annual Duck Derby, Larry decided to plight his rubber duck to his neighbor in a daring pledge: if her duck finished first, he would serenade the winning duck in tutu attire. When Larry’s duck hilariously spun in circles, he wished he’d plighted something less risky—like silence.

Bartholomew, notorious for his exorbitant hat collection, found himself in a dire plight. He’d promised his prize-winning ostrich feather topper as collateral for a loan to acquire more fascinators. Now, he had to plight his favorite fedora, a genuine Stetson, to get his ostrich feather back.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

At the ceremony, both families watched as the couple plight their love, each person keenly aware of the gravity such promises carry. Their voices trembled, understanding that to plight is not merely to speak, but to give one’s word as an unwavering and earnest pledge.

With dwindling resources, he had to plight his family's heirlooms, a heavy obligation to secure immediate provisions. This desperate measure underscored their dire predicament, each cherished object now a pawn in their struggle for survival.

Sarah hesitated before plight her family farm as collateral for the loan. The bank officer waited, knowing this decision would determine whether her generations-old agricultural legacy would survive or crumble under mounting financial pressures. Her trembling hand signed the document, binding her future to this last desperate chance.

At the annual masquerade ball, Sir Reginald chose to plight his vintage monocle to Lady Whimsbury as collateral for her secret truffle recipe, thus engaging in an exchange so ludicrously formal that witnesses nearly asphyxiated from suppressed giggles behind their elaborate feathered masks.

The hapless comedian, whose repertoire consisted primarily of puns so abysmal they could curdle milk, found himself in a dire predicament. He had to plight his grandmother's antique porcelain cat to the pawn shop to fund his latest, undoubtedly calamitous, attempt at a stand-up special.

Difficulty

Advanced — Less frequent words that stretch an upper-level vocabulary.

Appears in

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