Synonyms of dilemma

dilemma

noun

də-ˈle-mə 

1

as in problem

a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices

faced with a dilemma of whether to risk continuing to drive in the dangerous storm or to give up searching for the lost dog and hope he survived

Synonyms & Similar Words

• problem
• quandary
• difficulty
• double bind
• pickle
• catch-22
• predicament
• impasse
• deadlock
• quagmire
• plight
• stalemate
• standoff
• bind
• fix
• jam
• pinch
• knot
• spot
• hole

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• breeze
• snap
• cinch
• duck soup

2

as in predicament

a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape

with home prices in a free fall, sellers were in a terrible dilemma

Synonyms & Similar Words

• predicament
• pickle
• hole
• bind
• difficulty
• swamp
• corner
• crisis
• jam
• impasse
• quagmire
• box
• plight
• fix
• rabbit hole
• spot
• mire
• catch-22
• trouble
• quandary
• sticky wicket
• jackpot
• kettle of fish
• rattrap
• hot water
• soup
• node
• emergency
• deadlock
• crossroad
• pinch
• standstill
• strait
• stalemate
• exigency
• halt
• juncture
• clutch
• logjam
• scrape

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dilemma

Inside a fusion tokamak, operators face a brutal thermal dilemma. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026

The pain of displacement is lower here than in Europe, where tech employment is smaller, state spending is heavier, and the generation hitting the dilemma has no comparable release valve. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2026

Much of the rest of this might seem to be repetitive, but that’s only because this has been a multi-week dilemma, absent a multi-week solution. — Sam McDowell 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026

Along the way, the two encounter danger, adventure, and moral dilemmas that challenge Huck’s understanding of friendship, society, and right versus wrong. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2026