as in anxieties
a very bad or difficult situation
—usually singular
The recent cut in funding will only contribute to the hospital's financial plight. the plight of the unemployed
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Recent Examples of plights
Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Given the tyrannical inferno that engulfed these precariously united states, my personal plights were mere embers, ashes, in the grand scheme of things.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Then again, that slightly generic quality never impinges on the film’s characterizations, and allows viewers to extrapolate the finer points of this story to the plights of so many other refugees, from Syria and elsewhere.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
The particular bodily plights of the thirty-something jock don’t stem simply from the inherent risk imbued in competitive sports.
—Grace Perry, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Our reviewer was captivated by the evocative writing and moved by the characters’ plights.
—Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2025
Noun
At great personal risk, Hadi connected me with dissidents, political prisoners, and their relatives, who all described their plights as the regime’s repressive campaign escalated in the weeks leading up to the war.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Given the tyrannical inferno that engulfed these precariously united states, my personal plights were mere embers, ashes, in the grand scheme of things.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Then again, that slightly generic quality never impinges on the film’s characterizations, and allows viewers to extrapolate the finer points of this story to the plights of so many other refugees, from Syria and elsewhere.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
The particular bodily plights of the thirty-something jock don’t stem simply from the inherent risk imbued in competitive sports.
—Grace Perry, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Our reviewer was captivated by the evocative writing and moved by the characters’ plights.
—Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plights
Verb
-
Use a commercial preventive spray that promises to clean and kill algae and prevent it from returning.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
16 May 2026
-
But the next evolution promises the biggest step forward yet.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Rather than bridging shortfalls, both Seattle and Washington now face more difficult fiscal predicaments, Joblon said.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
18 May 2026
-
The madman strategy is for not-crazy leaders caught in adverse predicaments.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Those are the players in recent memory who’ve commanded the kind of draft capital that reshapes franchises — the sort of seismic move that mortgages a future and, in return, attaches expectations normally reserved for franchise-carrying superstars.—
Kristian Winfield,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The new film, which is both written and directed by the franchise’s longtime screenwriter John Hamburg, sees Grande play Olivia Jones, the fiancé of Pam and Greg Focker’s son who now has to endure the tribulations of meeting the parents (and grandparents) before joining the family.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
-
That was Mark Critchley’s cue to interview Maguire about his tribulations in Manchester (and his harder times with the England national team, too).—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Magyar vows to restore democratic institutions, investigate alleged corruption under Orbán, repair relations with the European Union and reduce Hungarian dependency on Russia.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Creasy vows to avenge the Rayburns’ death and protect Poe (Billie Boullet), Rayburn’s teenage daughter who survived and witnessed the attack.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The construction work coexists with hundreds of posters promoting the soccer tournament, as well as large-scale figures of soccer balls and trophies, which help passengers forget the inconveniences caused by renovations that have dragged on for a year.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
-
These small inconveniences can cumulatively lead to inefficiencies and breakdowns in collaboration.—
Thomas Berndorfer,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
That potential is why the Bills chose to exercise the fifth-year option from his rookie contract despite recurring medical frustrations.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Others focused on the park-wide outage itself, with some guests sharing frustrations about long waits and ride shutdowns throughout the day.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
For decades, scientists assumed the primary purpose of sneezing was simply to expel irritants from the upper airway.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Federal agents also tackled several people and deployed chemical irritants at Roosevelt High School in south Minneapolis.—
Beret Leone,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plights. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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