adversity

noun

ad·​ver·​si·​ty ad-ˈvər-sə-tē How to pronounce adversity (audio)
plural adversities
: a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune
showing courage in the face of adversity

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.

Choose the Right Synonym for adversity

misfortune, mischance, adversity, mishap mean adverse fortune or an instance of this.

misfortune may apply to either the incident or conjunction of events that is the cause of an unhappy change of fortune or to the ensuing state of distress.

never lost hope even in the depths of misfortune

mischance applies especially to a situation involving no more than slight inconvenience or minor annoyance.

took the wrong road by mischance

adversity applies to a state of grave or persistent misfortune.

had never experienced great adversity

mishap applies to an often trivial instance of bad luck.

the usual mishaps of a family vacation

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Leaders who have faced adversity—whether in business, health, or life—tend to develop a deeper understanding of others’ struggles. Brent Gleeson, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 These Penguins battled through all kinds of adversity, including injuries that at times left them with a makeshift blue line. James Mirtle, New York Times, 18 June 2025 That really taught me a lot as a player, to deal with adversity. Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025 Mayer has experienced some ups and downs as well, and there’s no doubt Anthony will face adversity early on as well. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for adversity

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adversite "opposition, hostility, misfortune, hardship," borrowed from Anglo-French adversité, aversité, borrowed from Late Latin adversitāt-, adversitās (Latin, "power of counteracting"), from Latin adversus adverse + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of adversity was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Adversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adversity. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

adversity

noun
ad·​ver·​si·​ty ad-ˈvər-sət-ē How to pronounce adversity (audio)
plural adversities
: an instance or condition of serious or continued misfortune

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