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 lingering dilemma, which may prove no easier for a future jury to resolve, is what the law should make of someone who was both. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Camouflage explores the dilemma of living between identities through the journey of its main character, Vitaly. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026

Although geopolitical analysts love to talk about turning points, crossroads, and dilemmas, many governments have a prosaic tendency to defy these dramatic predictions and muddle through. — Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Primetime chronicles the intense production, ethical dilemmas and media sensationalism behind To Catch a Predator, which ran from 2004 to 2007. — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026