1
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
many people came face-to-face with life-altering adversity when the stock market crashed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hardship
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
some overcame all the adversities of the Great Depression and rebuilt their fortunes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adversity
Also, sharing stories of athletes dealing with similar adversities, Steinberg believes all readers should come away with this lesson learned.
—
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
Really similar types of adversity and trauma.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Those bits of adversity, especially the loss to New Orleans, caused many fans to believe the season was over.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Garbacz never panicked during adversity, either.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversity
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
Really similar types of adversity and trauma.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Those bits of adversity, especially the loss to New Orleans, caused many fans to believe the season was over.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Garbacz never panicked during adversity, either.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversity
Noun
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In two of those, the Bruins had the misfortune of running into a wall — eventual champions South Carolina in 2022 and LSU in 2023.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
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Apart from her increasing unreliability, and the fact that musicals were outré, Minnelli had the misfortune of becoming famous in an era when versatility was the rage.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some lenders also offer hardship programs that temporarily reduce or pause payments for borrowers who qualify.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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The storms, the flooding, the constant rain across O'ahu have affected so many of our people, especially those already facing hardship.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Garland died in 1969, of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills, but the tragedy did not hamper Minnelli’s ascent.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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In a snippet from the interview shared Wednesday, March 25, Guthrie shared her agony more than 50 days into the tragedy.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The challenge of weather-app creation lies both in the improbability of accurately predicting the weather and in the difficulty of designing something that works for any user, anywhere.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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House conservatives came out against the deal before it was even announced, signaling the difficulty Republican leadership in both chambers could face to end the monthlong DHS shutdown.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversity. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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