Plightful

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

Full definition of plightful

Adjective

1. Full of risk or danger; risky; dangerous; perilous.
• 1965, Francis X. Corrigan, Middle English readings in translation: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.
• 2005, Curt Bissonette, Noble Stone: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.
2. Full of plight; plighted; pledged; devoted.
• 1866, Henry J. Verlander, The bride of Rougemont: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.

From plight + -ful.

Adjective

1. Indicating plight; dire; grim; grievous.
• 2009, Dr. Ulas Basar Gezgin, Vietnam & Asia in Flux, 2008:For example, poor villagers can destroy the forests because of their plightful conditions.
2. Pitiful.
• 1972, Commonweal: Volume 96: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" ...