ordeal
noun
any extremely severe or trying test, experience, or trial.
ordeals
-
pluralof ordeal.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
In the climatic entry in Jón Kalman Stefánsson’s Icelandic trilogy about a boy’s passage through ordeals on land and sea, the battered young hero takes refuge in a village.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
I never forgot how lucky I am to be here considering the horrors she experienced during World War II and her ordeals trying to give us a good life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Passengers touching down at airports in Australia, France, Germany, India, Russia, Taiwan and beyond told of sleepless nights and days-long ordeals to get out of the Middle East when war erupted.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
More details of their ordeals have since emerged in the days since Monday morning.
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025
One of my Sunday morning ordeals is having to lie in bed and look at Dussel’s back when he’s praying.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
