ordeal

American  

[awr-deel, -dee-uhl, awr-deel] / ɔrˈdil, -ˈdi əl, ˈɔr dil /

noun

ordeals plural

1. any extremely severe or trying test, experience, or trial.

2. a primitive form of trial to determine guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to fire, poison, or other serious danger, the result being regarded as a divine or preternatural judgment.

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ordeal British  

/ ɔːˈdiːl /

noun

1. a severe or trying experience

2. history a method of trial in which the guilt or innocence of an accused person was determined by subjecting him to physical danger, esp by fire or water. The outcome was regarded as an indication of divine judgment

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ordeals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ordeal

before 950; Middle English ordal, Old English ordāl; cognate with Dutch oordeel, German Urteil. See a- ³, dole ¹

Explanation

An ordeal is something difficult or painful to go through. Something kind of hard like taking a test can be an ordeal, but often an ordeal is a serious and long-lasting event, like an illness or tragedy. When you go through an ordeal you have to deal with something tough. Waiting for someone you love to recover from an injury and come home from the hospital is an ordeal — for both of you — and being a victim of a crime is a different kind of ordeal. You can use this noun in an exaggerated way, too, as when you endure the long ordeal of cleaning the garage on a sunny weekend.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ordeal ordeals

The critter gained numerous fans during its brief romp around Comerica, with the crowd booing after its capture and again when Miller called for a round of applause for the ground crew after the ordeal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

The man who led them back cast the ordeal as a heroic saga.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Deeply affected by the ordeal and still in shock, the 48-year-old did not mince his words regarding the authorities, who he believes failed to sufficiently clear the undergrowth in the surrounding countryside.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

For Celeste's parents, it was an ordeal they had prepared themselves for but could never fully anticipate, according to their lawyer.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

The UN dug wells for water, but getting it was an ordeal.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau

However, Mr. Starritt keeps his leads center stage and ensures that throughout their professional trials and personal ordeals they remain captivating presences and sympathetic enough to root for.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 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

That was a dramatic improvement over recent weekends, when social media lit up with complaints of hour-and-a-half ordeals.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

But five people living with the condition spoke to the BBC about their ordeals, which left them feeling like they were going mad or like monsters.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

At the time I had no idea how much I would have to live by these rules just to survive the ordeals of my life.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau

Related Words

• agony
• anguish
• calamity
• difficulty
• nightmare
• torment
• torture
• trial