YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

plight

Noun

IPA /plaɪt/

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Meaning in plain English

A serious and distressing situation that someone is facing.

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Pronunciation

plight/plaɪt/

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A flood disrupts a family's home
The family faces serious hardship
Neighbours come to help

Someone's plight is a serious and distressing situation they are experiencing.

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The neighbours rallied to help a family in a desperate plight after the flood.
The report drew attention to the plight of stranded travellers.

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The neighbours rallied to help a family in a desperate ________ after the flood.

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plight — A serious and distressing situation that someone is facing.

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A serious and distressing situation that someone is facing.

Compare: The neighbours rallied to help a family in a desperate plight after the flood.

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Word origin

From Anglo-Norman French plit, meaning fold; the modern spelling was influenced by a different verb plight.

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The plight of someone identifies the people experiencing the difficulty.

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