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

The audacious effort was designed to address the Voyagers’ constant dilemma—how to keep the probes running on an ever shrinking trickle of power. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026

Democrats are facing a dilemma and Michigan’s Senate primary perfectly illustrated it. — Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026

With each passing episode of its second season, Sugar has been leading its title character to the same mind-and-spirit-shattering dilemma. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026

There’s a kind of prisoner’s dilemma hurting Democrats who want to beat the left in swing-state primaries. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026