as in ordeal
a negative event or circumstance that is common to a particular setting or situation and is usually beyond one's control
The vicissitudes of medical school proved too much for the anxious student.
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Recent Examples of vicissitude
Whatever its reputation, the OIGC is still subject to the vicissitudes of other arts organizations.
—
Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
By using non-actors who have endured the vicissitudes of the world, Laxe didn’t have to develop the characters in a conventional way.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Nov. 2025
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Mere knick-knacks, which have all disappeared with the vicissitudes of years.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
By using non-actors who have endured the vicissitudes of the world, Laxe didn’t have to develop the characters in a conventional way.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Nov. 2025
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Mere knick-knacks, which have all disappeared with the vicissitudes of years.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
Noun
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Morning anchors like Katie Couric and Robin Roberts who have dealt with personal challenges — the death of a spouse or a medical ordeal — returned to illuminate issues tied to their tests.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Weeks would pass, and, strangely, despite his ordeal, Schiller did not report it to police.—
Troy Roberts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But a northern climate, stringent building codes, and the gauntlet of public review shouldn’t exclude the immense trove of experienced professionals who have worked in big, dense cities that are more similar to than different from ours.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Yes, UConn was undefeated, but did the Huskies really have a better season than UCLA considering the gantlet the Bruins had to face?—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Philadelphia singer-songwriter seeks out the mystical potential of quotidian misfortunes in a set of psychedelic-of-center bedroom pop songs.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Throughout, by the fickle winds of scientific misfortune, mother and son remained waiting — until about two and a half years ago.—
Jason Mast,
STAT,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the European settlers, underprepared for actual conditions in the region, suffered great privations, and only 1,500 remained by 1832.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
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The earthly experience of personal grief and privation that inspired such transcendent beauty is mind-bending in its own way.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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