adversity

1 bad luck or an example of this many people came face-to-face with life-altering adversity when the stock market crashed Synonyms misfortune, ill, knock, misadventure, mischance, mishap, tragedyRelated Words calamity, cataclysm, catastrophe, disaster; affliction, hardship, trial, tribulation, woe; distress, misery, suffering, unhappiness; defeat, failure, fizzle, nonsuccess; curse, evil, sorrow, trouble; accident, casualty; blow, body blow, disappointment, letdown, setback; circumstance, destiny, doom, fate, lot, portionNear Antonyms break, chance, fluke, godsend, hit, opportunity, strike, stroke, windfall; accomplishment, achievement, successAntonyms fortune, luck, serendipity

2 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 difficulty, asperity, hardness, hardship, rigorRelated Words discomfort, inconvenience, nuisance; affliction, trial, tribulation; knock, misfortune, mishap, tragedy; bar, catch, check, clog, crimp, embarrassment, handicap, hindrance, hitch, hurdle, impediment, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, pons asinorum, rub, shackle, snag, stop, trammel; block, chain, deterrent, encumbrance, fetter, inhibition; humpNear Antonyms advantage, break, opportunity