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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
  1. ordeal
  2. gauntlet
  3. misfortune
  4. privation
Noun
  • The ordeal suffered by her, her young baby and son is chronicled through videos Roro sent through Hani, with whom Plambech developed a close relationship.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Like many biographers, Hitchcock sees this physical ordeal as a turn of events that deepened Roosevelt’s character.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of ordeal
Noun
  • Once past the lobby, ticket holders file along a snaking path, passing a gauntlet of screens, then take an elevator up to a series of rooms filled with … more screens.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
  • With the infinity stones in their possession, the Avengers create their own gauntlet to harness their power, and Banner uses it to restore the other half of the universe.
    — Michael McDonough, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of gauntlet
Noun
  • In the greatest misfortune of a very unlucky life, Fantine (Noémie Merlant) stops at the tavern the Thénardiers run on her way to Montreuil with her angelic daughter Cosette.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Serendipity in the form of misfortune is shining on the Democratic Party’s electoral prospects.
    — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of misfortune
Noun
  • 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
  • Though each of the Ghetto’s three areas (the Ghetto Nuovo, the Ghetto Vecchio, and the Ghetto Nuovissimo) retained its own, distinct character until remarkably late, it was always cramped, unsanitary, and marred by privation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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