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
Examples 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
-
Amazingly, Mom stayed conscious and talking the entire time of this ordeal.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Earlier this month, Main Street Sports officially emerged from bankruptcy, ending a nearly two-year ordeal.—
Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
What Mayorkas is sure of is that the incoming administration, despite its rhetoric, will face the same gauntlet of challenges that burdened his team.—
Michael Wilner,
Miami Herald,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Keeping his leads separated for most of the runtime, Polish runs them through gauntlets of knife fights, fist fights, gun fights, rocket fights and more.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Unless Johnson shocks everyone and joins Pritzker et al. in telling CTU the truth, Chicago has the unprecedented misfortune of not even having a mayor representing taxpayer interests in this travesty.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Besides being unsightly, Hephaestus was lame and also had the misfortune of an unfaithful wife.—
Cody Cottier,
Discover Magazine,
20 Jan. 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
Thesaurus Entries Near vicissitude
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share