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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adversity
There is a solid chance that if the AI were being used productively and appropriately, there wouldn’t be a spiraling adversity at hand.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
In the second game, adversity struck.
—Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2026
The sculpture is set to be back on display just in time for Lexington’s Minnie Mae Day on June 13, which celebrates Minnie Mae Talbott, who fought adversity to become the nation’s first woman elected sheriff in 1919.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
Her core message was overcoming adversity through leadership based on respect, honor and devotion to duty in the face of day-to-day challenges and high-stakes missions.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversity
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
In the second game, adversity struck.
—Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2026
The sculpture is set to be back on display just in time for Lexington’s Minnie Mae Day on June 13, which celebrates Minnie Mae Talbott, who fought adversity to become the nation’s first woman elected sheriff in 1919.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
Her core message was overcoming adversity through leadership based on respect, honor and devotion to duty in the face of day-to-day challenges and high-stakes missions.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adversity
Noun
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Their misfortune was to play in the same era and conference as Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
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His buddy Alex Michelsen, 21, had the misfortune of running into Jódar.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Noun
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One of our top picks for private student loan refinancing, Earnest, has low rates and hardship options like pausing or reducing payments or temporary interest rate reductions for illness, unemployment and financial distress.—
John Csiszar,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
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According to the court, prospective military members can seek relief after the case has completely moved through the courts, while active service members face a more serious hardship by being expelled from the military.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
Noun
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The sheriff says that 15 to 20 community members stepped up to help in the aftermath of this tragedy.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
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Convoluted race shaped by tragedy As the California Senate president last fall, McGuire helped Democrats successfully engineer and secure passage of Proposition 50.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Liquidity and accessibility Both gold and Bitcoin are relatively liquid assets, meaning they can typically be bought or sold without much difficulty.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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The Aerospace Corporation has been advancing a concept for a restartable solid rocket motor (RSRM), a propulsion configuration that has long posed engineering difficulties because conventional solid motors burn continuously once ignited and cannot be throttled or shut down mid-flight.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adversity. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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