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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

plightful en · ADJ · etymology 1

Etymology

From Middle English plightful, plihtful, equivalent to plight + -ful.

Meanings

  1. Full of risk or danger; risky; dangerous; perilous.
    • This is their doom that here in sin Lie and their sins will not cease; But would they think about Judgment Day, It behooves them to leave their plightful play. 1965, Francis X. Corrigan, Middle English readings in translation:
    • Athelstan said, in a much more serious way, “It is truly a plightful time for the Angles, and it always has been, as far back as I can remember. The Northmen kill or at least mar all that they touch. 2005, Curt Bissonette, Noble Stone:
  2. Full of plight; plighted; pledged; devoted.
    • She liv'd and lov'd.―I wedded two. 'The Devil!'―Yes. What could I do? To her I ow'd my plightful vow, To Ruth, my life, and freedom now. 1866, Henry J. Verlander, The bride of Rougemont:

Forms

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most plightful Degree=Sup lexicographic
more plightful Degree=Cmp lexicographic

plightful en · ADJ · etymology 2

Etymology

From plight + -ful.

Meanings

  1. Indicating plight; dire; grim; grievous.
    • For example, poor villagers can destroy the forests because of their plightful conditions. 2009, Dr. Ulas Basar Gezgin, Vietnam & Asia in Flux, 2008:
  2. Pitiful.
    • In some surreal and inevitable moment, some jingle-jangle wee hour of morning, they may even have shared billing on the same campus stage: joined harmonics and harmonics, strummed out some plightful version of "Musee des Beaux Arts" [...] 1972, Commonweal, volume 96:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most plightful Degree=Sup lexicographic
more plightful Degree=Cmp lexicographic