ordeal

noun or·deal \ ȯr-ˈdē(-ə)l , ˈȯr-ˌdē(-ə)l \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of ordeal

1 : a primitive means used to determine guilt or innocence by submitting the accused to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under supernatural control

ordeal by fire

ordeal by water

2 : a severe trial or experience

Being trapped in an elevator was a harrowing ordeal for the shoppers.

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Examples of ordeal in a Sentence

the hikers were finally rescued after a three-day ordeal in the wilderness

Recent Examples of ordeal from the Web

The problem was that those characters never really popped, despite their slow-motion ordeal surviving the zombie apocalypse.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'Fear the Walking Dead' gets major makeover with Morgan's arrival," 13 Apr. 2018
Donges said Zeus and Ziva are in good shape despite losing about 20 pounds apiece during their ordeal.

— don sweeney, sacbee, "Her dogs were missing for days before she heard a bark. But she couldn’t get to them | The Sacramento Bee," 12 Apr. 2018
The museum has an impressive narrative of the railway covering the walls with facts like how P.O.W.s secreted details of their ordeal in coffins.

— New York Times, "Taking to the River in Thailand," 10 Apr. 2018
But as frightening as his childhood ordeal clearly was, his success in dealing with it is not surprising: After helping to foil his own abduction, he was hailed as a hero by the national news media.

— aaron gell, Longreads, "Did Brian Easley Have to Die?," 9 Apr. 2018
She was visited and surrounded by close friends and family throughout her ordeal while being attended to by the Middlesex Hospital staff with unprecedented kindness and care.

— courant.com, "Patricia Ann Bidwell," 4 Apr. 2018
In spite of her horrific ordeal, O'Mahoney has used her experience to embrace her acne and share an important message.

— macaela mackenzie, Allure, "Teen Claims Acne Medication Doxycycline Left Her "Nearly Blind"," 30 Mar. 2018
Among them are Noor and Nemaat, civilian women from the neighborhoods of Douma and Sabqa, respectively, who have spoken to the Monitor regularly throughout their ordeal.

— dominique soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, "Eastern Ghouta exodus: As rebel area falls, many take leap into 'unknown'," 28 Mar. 2018
The young Getty's defiant cluelessness gets across how utterly sheltered and privileged these elites were and why there wasn't much sympathy for his ensuing ordeal.

— lorraine ali, latimes.com, ""Trust:" The Getty family gets their own FX series," 24 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ordeal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.