adversity
noun
Did you know?
The world, alas, is full of adversity of all kinds, from misfortune to outright calamity. But while we—being humble lexicographers, not sagacious philosophers—cannot explain the source of such adversity, we can explain the source of the word adversity. If you’ve ever faced adversity and felt like fate, the world, or something else was turned against you, it will not surprise you that adversity traces back to the Latin verb advertere, meaning “to turn toward, direct,” itself a combination of the verb vertere, “to turn,” and the prefix ad-, “to.” The past participle of advertere is adversus, meaning “turned toward, facing, opposed,” which eventually led (via a couple languages in between) to the Middle English word adversite, meaning “opposition, hostility, misfortune, or hardship,” and the adversity we know today.
Examples of adversity in a Sentence
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.
Zuri Primos, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2025
Nimmo joked that the Mets at least waited longer for adversity this year.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Over the years, the Biden family has confronted unimaginable adversity with grace and steadfast perseverance.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 18 May 2025
Seminole High has faced a bit of adversity during this football offseason but that hasn’t thwarted coach Karl Calhoun’s bunch.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for adversity
Cite this Entry
“Adversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adversity. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
adversity
noun
Share