vicissitude

noun

Definition of vicissitudenext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vicissitude The show is good at making the off-and-on vicissitudes of modern dating feel natural to the plot. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026 The family drama is underpinned by the vicissitudes inherent in moviemaking. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2026 Their vicissitudes are both timely and for all time. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Dec. 2025 Whatever its reputation, the OIGC is still subject to the vicissitudes of other arts organizations. — Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
  1. ordeal
  2. gauntlet
  3. misfortune
  4. privation
Noun
  • The survivors had yet to speak publicly about their ordeal and had requested privacy, the Australian broadcaster reported.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The village’s ordeal began in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, when it was occupied.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of ordeal
Noun
  • What made the Trojans’ previous losses so galling was the gauntlet ahead of them, starting with Ohio State.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The gauntlet of the NFC West awaits with a home game against the 49ers in two weeks and back-to-back road trips (with a bye in between) to take on the Seahawks and Rams.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of gauntlet
Noun
  • However, since the ornament is entered into a holiday gift exchange rather than gifted with proper intention, Tanya suddenly finds herself on the receiving end of everyone else’s misfortune.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The lawsuits, in his eyes, are simply cases of personal misfortune and landlord greed.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of misfortune
Noun
  • After a few parched years Arizona was bailed out by the federal government, which built a reservoir so the people of the Salt River Valley would never again experience privation.
    — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The catastrophe was a reminder of not only the destructiveness of Israeli bombing, but also the depth of the continuing privation in Gaza today.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of privation

Browse Nearby Words

viciousness
vicissitude
vicissitudes
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Cite this Entry

“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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