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Unfortunate vs Plight - What's the difference?

unfortunate | plight |

As nouns the difference between unfortunate and plight

is that unfortunate is an unlucky person while plight is a dire or unfortunate situation or plight can be responsibility for ensuing consequences; risk; danger; peril or plight can be (obsolete) a network; a plait; a fold; rarely a garment.

As an adjective unfortunate

is not favored by fortune.

As a verb plight is

to expose to risk; to pledge or plight can be (obsolete) to weave; to braid; to fold; to plait.

unfortunate

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • not favored by fortune
  • marked or accompanied by or resulting in misfortune
  • Synonyms

    * (not favored by fortune) unsuccessful * (accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) unlucky

    Antonyms

    * (not favored by fortune) fortunate * (accompanied by or resulting in misfortune) fortunate, lucky

    See also

    * deplorable * regrettable * infelicitous * unsuitable

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An unlucky person.
  • plight

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A dire or unfortunate situation.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 10, author=Arindam Rej, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Norwich 4-2 Newcastle , passage=A second Norwich goal in four minutes arrived after some dire Newcastle defending. Gosling gave the ball away with a sloppy back-pass, allowing Crofts to curl in a cross that the unmarked Morison powered in with a firm, 12-yard header. ΒΆ Gosling's plight worsened when he was soon shown a red card for a foul on Martin.}}
  • *2005 , Lesley Brown, translating Plato, Sophist , :
  • *:Though we say we are quite clear about it and understand when someone uses the expression, unlike that other expression, maybe we're in the same plight with regard to them both.
  • *, II.8:
  • *:although hee live in as good plight and health as may be, yet he chafeth, he scoldeth, he brawleth, he fighteth, he sweareth, and biteth, as the most boistrous and tempestuous master of France .
  • (obsolete) Good health.
  • *1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.7:
  • *:All wayes shee sought him to restore to plight , / With herbs, with charms, with counsel, and with teares.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) . More at pledge.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Responsibility for ensuing consequences; risk; danger; peril.
  • An instance of danger or peril; a dangerous moment or situation.
  • Blame; culpability; fault; wrong-doing; sin; crime.
  • One's office; duty; charge.
  • (archaic) That which is exposed to risk; that which is plighted or pledged; security; a gage; a pledge.
  • * Shakespeare
  • that lord whose hand must take my plight
    Derived terms
    * (l) * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To expose to risk; to pledge.
  • Specifically, to pledge (one's troth etc.) as part of a marriage ceremony.
  • (reflexive) To promise (oneself) to someone, or to do something.
  • * 1992 , Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety , Harper Perennial 2007, p. 226:
  • I ask what I have done to deserve it, one daughter hobnobbing with radicals and the other planning to plight herself to a criminal.
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    Etymology 3

    Through (etyl), from (etyl) and Danish flette are probably unrelated.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To weave; to braid; to fold; to plait.
  • * Milton
  • A plighted garment of divers colors.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A network; a plait; a fold; rarely a garment.
  • * Spenser
  • Many a folded plight .