adversity

noun

ad·​ver·​si·​ty ad-ˈvər-sə-tē 

plural adversities

: a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune

showing courage in the face of adversity

Did you know?

Adversity comes from Middle English adversite, meaning "opposition, hostility, misfortune, or hardship," which itself is from Latin adversus, the source of adverse, which means "bad or unfavorable," as in "adverse criticism" or "an adverse reaction to the medication."

Synonyms

• ill
• knock
• misadventure
• mischance
• misfortune
• mishap
• tragedy

Choose the Right Synonym for adversity

misfortune, mischance, adversity, mishap mean adverse fortune or an instance of this.

misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress.

never lost hope even in the depths of misfortune

mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance.

took the wrong road by mischance

adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune.

had never experienced great adversity

mishap applies to an often trivial instance of bad luck.

the usual mishaps of a family vacation

Examples of adversity in a Sentence

After two years of research, I discovered that everyone has a crisis personality survivor IQ—that they marshal in a moment of adversity: a mindset and ways of thinking about a situation. —Ben Sherwood, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2009

Perhaps because their brains are wired differently, dyslexics are often skilled problem solvers, coming at solutions from novel or surprising angles and making conceptual leaps.  … It may also be that their early struggle with reading better prepares them for dealing with adversity in a volatile, fast-changing world. —Christine Gorman, Time, 28 July 2003

High school, college and even NFL teams have been getting a quick morale boost by going to see Remember the Titans, the schmaltzy but uplifting story about (what else?) a football squad overcoming adversity. —Sports Illustrated, 6 Nov. 2000

The narrative plot is clearly defined, and it is classically familiar: Huck (without Jim) and Tom Sawyer light out for unknown territory to discover their manhood by successfully confronting the harsh adversities of life. —John W. Aldridge, Atlantic, August 1994

He showed courage in the face of adversity.

We had to learn to deal with adversity.

Recent Examples on the Web

Leaders who view challenges as opportunities for learning rather than insurmountable obstacles approach adversity with creativity and curiosity. —Brent Gleeson, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

The Raiders have dealt with plenty of adversity in 2024, and losing O'Connell in this manner is certainly adding to that adversity. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024

Glen’s motivation is personal, rooted in his journey of adversity. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024

The court also noted the academy’s extensive race-neutral efforts, such as outreach programs and consideration of socioeconomic adversity. —Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adversite "opposition, hostility, misfortune, hardship," borrowed from Anglo-French adversité, aversité, borrowed from Late Latin adversitāt-, adversitās (Latin, "power of counteracting"), from Latin adversus adverse + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

adversity

noun

ad·​ver·​si·​ty ad-ˈvər-sət-ē 

plural adversities

: an instance or condition of serious or continued misfortune