as in ordeal
a negative event or circumstance that is common to a particular setting or situation and is usually beyond one's control
The vicissitudes of medical school proved too much for the anxious student.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vicissitude
People who pay attention to the vicissitudes of Tesla CEO Elon Musk know that the man is not always serious on Twitter.
—
Aarian Marshall, Wired, 10 May 2020
The vicissitudes of history always challenge us in new and often confounding ways; that’s in the nature of things.
—Jon Meacham, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
All of the biggest corporate mergers, the deals that determine the vicissitudes of our global markets, happen within their walls.
—Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 30 Mar. 2020
Sport is usually a constant -- a field, court, track or course that is resistant to the vicissitudes of the world around us.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Aarian Marshall, Wired, 10 May 2020
The vicissitudes of history always challenge us in new and often confounding ways; that’s in the nature of things.
—Jon Meacham, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
All of the biggest corporate mergers, the deals that determine the vicissitudes of our global markets, happen within their walls.
—Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 30 Mar. 2020
Sport is usually a constant -- a field, court, track or course that is resistant to the vicissitudes of the world around us.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
Noun
-
My little brother, Phil, had just died after a terrible car crash and a six-year ordeal in a coma.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The incident recalled an ordeal Indenbaum faced in 2022, when his wife of 49 years died unexpectedly, prompting the widower to close her accounts and go through the paperwork, News 12 Long Island previously reported.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Since its launch in 2018, D20 has survived a gauntlet of uncertainty, rocked by layoffs from its corporate owners just before a pandemic sent them all playing virtually in isolation.—
Eric Francisco,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2025
-
The Crusaders are no strangers to winning the section’s toughest gauntlet.—
Joseph Dycus,
The Mercury News,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Miami’s misfortune with close games and big leads hasn’t dissuaded Spoelstra’s goal to maximize each possession and win every game, even if his roster is significantly different from five months ago.—
James Jackson,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Healthy bodies are the only thing that can make a difference at Madison Square Garden, but where there is great demand, misfortune would have it there is also a great shortage.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Economic privation could further encourage violent competition between Syrian armed groups over territory and revenues.—
Sam Heller,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2024
-
But envisioning the privation that followed, with Panguna shut down, requires little imagination.—
Sean Williams,
Harper's Magazine,
23 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share