quandary

[ kwon-duh-ree, -dree ]
See synonyms for quandary on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural quan·da·ries.
  1. a state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; dilemma.

Origin of quandary

1
First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps fancifully from Latin quand(ō) “when” + -āre infinitive suffix

synonym study For quandary

Words Nearby quandary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use quandary in a sentence

  • In his quandary, he heard a step without and looking up saw Pete in the open door.

    The Shepherd of the Hills | Harold Bell Wright
  • Here again he was in a quandary, for except for a word or two of ordinary use he could understand no Zulu.

    Forging the Blades | Bertram Mitford
  • "I was attacked about four miles up the road by a tremendous sixty-pound quandary, and I was nearly killed," said the major.

    In Camp With A Tin Soldier | John Kendrick Bangs
  • What put Matt in a quandary, however, was the fact that he could not reconcile his present surroundings with the Crescent.

  • He did not mean to find himself in a quandary when they were ready to turn back again, and not be able to say where the camp lay.

    Storm-Bound | Alan Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for quandary

quandary

/ (ˈkwɒndrɪ, -dərɪ) /


nounplural -ries
  1. a situation or circumstance that presents problems difficult to solve; predicament; dilemma

Origin of quandary

1
C16: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Latin quandō when

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012