quandary
Americannoun
plural
quandariesnoun
Related Words
See predicament.
Etymology
Origin of quandary
First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps fancifully from Latin quand(ō) “when” + -āre infinitive suffix
Explanation
How to define the word quandary? Wow, this is quite a dilemma. What to do, what to do? Hmmm. Looks like this moment itself is a quandary: a tough situation that will be really hard to resolve. If you’re uncertain what to do because all of your options seem unpleasant, you’re probably in a quandary. Some voters find themselves in a quandary when they dislike all of the candidates. A more common quandary is when you plan two events at the same time and can’t decide which one to attend. Some synonyms are predicament, dilemma, plight, and pickle — and choosing which word to use is a quandary in itself.
Vocabulary lists containing quandary
In a Pickle: Words for When You're in Trouble
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Grade 10, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Quandary: In this situation, I vote for equal financial shares to all brothers.
From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2022
In May 2012, as part of a physiology class, Carlson and Visich decided to take students on a trip up Quandary Peak, a Colorado mountain.
From The Verge • Nov. 12, 2018
Q. Grandma’s Quandary: My lovely daughter is the mother of three small children.
From Slate • Jan. 20, 2015
The team created several initiatives, including The Family Dinner Project: http://thefamilydinnerproject.org and a computer game called Quandary: http://www.quandarygame.org, which won Game of the Year at the 2013 Games for Change conference.
From Forbes • Nov. 24, 2014
Tho' we were in this sad Quandary, we advanc'd towards it, but took care to cry out and make Noise enough, that we might be heard by any that should happen to be within.
From The Travels and Adventures of James Massey by Patot, Simon Tyssot de
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
