predicament

American  

[pri-dik-uh-muhnt, pred-i-kuh-muhnt] / prɪˈdɪk ə mənt, ˈprɛd ɪ kə mənt /

noun

predicaments plural

1. an unpleasantly difficult, perplexing, or dangerous situation.

2. a class or category of logical or philosophical predication.

3. Archaic. a particular state, condition, or situation.

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predicament British  

/ prɪˈdɪkəmənt /

noun

1. a perplexing, embarrassing, or difficult situation

2. obsolete logic one of Aristotle's ten categories of being

3. archaic a specific condition, circumstance, state, position, etc

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Synonym Usage

Predicament, dilemma, plight, quandary refer to unpleasant or puzzling situations. Predicament and plight stress more the unpleasant nature, quandary and dilemma the puzzling nature of the situation. Predicament and plight are sometimes interchangeable; plight, however, though originally meaning peril or danger, is seldom used today except laughingly: When his suit wasn't ready at the cleaners, he was in a terrible plight. Predicament, though likewise capable of being used lightly, may also refer to a really crucial situation: Stranded in a strange city without money, he was in a predicament. Dilemma, in popular use, means a position of doubt or perplexity in which one is faced by two equally undesirable alternatives: the dilemma of a hostess who must choose between offending her anti-drinking guests or disappointing those who expected cocktails. Quandary is the state of mental perplexity of one faced with a difficult situation: There seemed to be no way out of the quandary.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predicamental
  adjective
• predicamentally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• predicaments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of predicament

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1580–90 predicament for def. 1; Middle English, from Late Latin praedicāmentum “something predicated, asserted,” derivative of praedicāre. See predicate, -ment

Explanation

If you're engaged to get married but suddenly fall in love with someone else, you have gotten yourself into quite a predicament. A predicament is a difficult, confusing, and unpleasant situation. The Greek word that predicament originally descends from means "a state of being." Which makes sense considering the words that sound like predicate are all about states of being––predict, or say what's going to happen in the future, and predicate the second part of a sentence that's led by the verb. Think of predicament as an unpleasant state of being.

Example Sentences

Perhaps one man writing it leads to other men identifying with the individual’s predicament and following up with a letter of their own.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

Ancelotti acknowledged that Brazil had "ran into some trouble" against a well-organised Japan side, but backed his players to get themselves out of their predicament.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

“I didn’t know Pinky had so many fans!” laughs Valdez while describing the predicament he was in.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026

It’s tempting to see their predicament as our own.

From Salon • Jun. 28, 2026

I lick my lips, already thirsty, and hunch beneath the paltry shade of the Jack tree to consider my predicament.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Related Words

• circumstance
• crisis
• deadlock
• dilemma
• hardship
• imbroglio
• impasse
• mess
• plight
• posture
• quagmire
• quandary