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
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.
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
The team dealt with plenty of adversity, as Sam Williams, Dak Prescott, and DeMarcus Lawrence were among the skilled players who missed all or most of the season.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
Although Ayari only made two of 10 league appearances as a starter at Rovers, the loans were useful learning experiences, with guidance from the loans department in dealing with a narrative of adversity.
—Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
That strength is resilience: the ability to adapt, recover and evolve in adversity.
—Gina Martin, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Other forms of childhood adversity — emotional abuse, neglect, household mental illness, substance abuse, and exposure to parental domestic violence — were not significantly associated with stroke in this study.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for adversity 
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Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
Although Ayari only made two of 10 league appearances as a starter at Rovers, the loans were useful learning experiences, with guidance from the loans department in dealing with a narrative of adversity.
—Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
That strength is resilience: the ability to adapt, recover and evolve in adversity.
—Gina Martin, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Other forms of childhood adversity — emotional abuse, neglect, household mental illness, substance abuse, and exposure to parental domestic violence — were not significantly associated with stroke in this study.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for adversity
Dictionary Entries Near adversity
Cite this Entry
“Adversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adversity. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
adversity
noun
ad·ver·si·ty
ad-ˈvər-sət-ē
plural adversities
: an instance or condition of serious or continued misfortune
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