quandary

American  

[kwon-duh-ree, -dree] / ˈkwɒn də ri, -dri /

noun

plural

quandaries

1. a state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; dilemma.

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quandary British  

/ -dərɪ, ˈkwɒndrɪ /

noun

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

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Related Words

See predicament.

Etymology

Origin of quandary

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

Example Sentences

Partly as a result of the moral quandaries, Mr. Solomon finishes his book far more ambivalent about colonizing Mars than he was at the outset.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Many times we have strong reasons to keep something like this secret. And I can’t tell you the reasons without giving away the secrets. Quite a quandary, isn’t it?”

From Literature

This episode is unlikely to help resolve the Liberal Party's quandaries.

From BBC

It’s an awful quandary because part of me knows that I’m a horrible secret keeper and have no business signing such a document, but another part of me is entirely intrigued.

From Literature

Tarr followed with “The Man From London,” which he and Krasznahorkai adapted from a novel by Georges Simenon, about a seaside railway signalman who confronts a moral quandary involving a murder mystery.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• difficulty
• dilemma
• embarrassment
• impasse
• plight
• predicament
• puzzle
• uncertainty