quandary

noun

quan·​da·​ry ˈkwän-d(ə-)rē 

plural quandaries

: a state of perplexity or doubt

Synonyms of quandary

• dilemma

Examples of quandary in a Sentence

Williams's quandary is not unlike that faced by other urban executives who have had to wrestle with a deeply rooted power structure. The problem is especially acute for African American mayors. They are expected to serve as sentries, protecting their cities' black communities and staving off so-called white encroachment. —Jonetta Rose Barras, Washington Post, 15 June 2003

For a sticky philosophical quandary, the questions are pretty simple: am I a clerk charged with selling college degrees or am I involved in a more meaningful experience? Part of me says that no argument is more worthy of my attention. —Lynne Drury Lerych, Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2001

… the inevitable economic quandary that faces a people in the transition from slavery to freedom, and especially those who make that change amid hate and prejudice, lawlessness and ruthless competition. —W. E. B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk, 1903

The unexpected results of the test have created a quandary for researchers.

I'm in a quandary about whether I should try to repair my stereo or buy a new one, even though I don't have the money to do either.

Recent Examples on the Web

But notably, the company’s prototype satellite likely won’t do much to prove the technology needed to solve the cooling quandary. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

For the Fed, the various economic signals have posed a quandary. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026

In no agency have the stakes of this quandary been higher than in the Department of Justice, whose mission is to uphold the rule of law. — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

That leaves the Clay Institute, and the field of mathematics, in a bit of a quandary. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

circa 1576, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing quandary

• in a quandary

Kids Definition

quandary

noun

quan·​da·​ry ˈkwän-d(ə-)rē 

plural quandaries

: a state of confusion or doubt : dilemma

in a quandary about which to choose