Plighten
/ˈplaɪtən/noun
An obsolete verb meaning to pledge, promise, or bind by a solemn agreement.
Did you know?The verb is connected with the older sense of “plight” as danger or peril, suggesting that a solemn promise was historically imagined as a risky obligation, not merely a casual agreement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*plihtiz
“A risk, danger, or obligation; reconstructed ancestor associated with the English word “plight”.”
Old English
Old English
pliht
“Danger, peril, risk, or obligation.”
Old English
Old English
plihtan
“To put in danger, risk, or pledge.”
Middle English
Middle English
plighten / pligten
“To pledge, promise, or bind by an agreement.”
Modern English
English
plighten
“An obsolete or rare verb meaning to pledge or promise.”