as in ordeals
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.
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Recent Examples of vicissitudes
The show is good at making the off-and-on vicissitudes of modern dating feel natural to the plot.
—
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
The Kino Babylon, opened in 1929 and still going strong despite vicissitudes, is an appropriate venue for Guadalajara’s 40th anniversary showcase.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
The family drama is underpinned by the vicissitudes inherent in moviemaking.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2026
Whatever its reputation, the OIGC is still subject to the vicissitudes of other arts organizations.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
By using non-actors who have endured the vicissitudes of the world, Laxe didn’t have to develop the characters in a conventional way.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Nov. 2025
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Mere knick-knacks, which have all disappeared with the vicissitudes of years.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
But Hynes details life’s vicissitudes with poetic exactitude.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
The Kino Babylon, opened in 1929 and still going strong despite vicissitudes, is an appropriate venue for Guadalajara’s 40th anniversary showcase.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
The family drama is underpinned by the vicissitudes inherent in moviemaking.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2026
Whatever its reputation, the OIGC is still subject to the vicissitudes of other arts organizations.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
By using non-actors who have endured the vicissitudes of the world, Laxe didn’t have to develop the characters in a conventional way.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Nov. 2025
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Mere knick-knacks, which have all disappeared with the vicissitudes of years.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
But Hynes details life’s vicissitudes with poetic exactitude.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitudes
Noun
-
The medical ordeals are traumatic and disgusting, but fascinating and full of the quirks of modern life.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Both women survived, but are still reeling from ordeals that have drawn national attention — in part, because they were captured on video and shared on social media.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
But a staggering series of misfortunes – an arsonist destroyed her rental house; the private equity firm that owned the house still demanded two months’ rent and kept her security deposit; she was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer – forced her into tenuous housing situations.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
-
How does falling victim to one of the most notoriously unlikely of all misfortunes reorient your sense of chance, of fate?—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Many young people are transitioning out of school, starting careers and building independence, while still developing the coping skills needed to navigate major health challenges.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The reversal comes after Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta and the UCLA Voting Rights Project launched legal challenges last week, arguing the sheriff has no authority over election materials.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Sacramento police are putting the liquidation of the office of violence prevention project funds on the table as a solution to the city's money troubles, even as the chief has credited the partnership program with lowering crime rates in the past four years.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser told The Beacon-News that conversations about CASA’s place in the courthouse had been some time in the making, as the county grappled with financial troubles and a lack of space in its buildings for county purposes.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Diaries kept by Eugenia Zieber describe the privations of the trail, chief among them the frequent deaths of fellow travelers.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
At seventy, Padura is a voice of a generation that endured a long war in Angola and the privations that followed the Soviet collapse.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitudes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitudes. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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