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

One pull-up 3-pointer during Monday’s win against the Washington Wizards captured the dilemma perfectly. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026

This dilemma is causing one hell of an identity crisis for our hero, thus throwing everything in his inner world out of whack. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026

But aspects such as strong characters, emotional investment, aspirational and authentic journeys, contemporary tensions, real moral dilemmas and complex relationships are what keep you there. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

More broadly, the premiere sets up a deepening of Common Side Effects’ many dilemmas. — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026