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
How should those future retirees be investing today to best weather the vicissitudes of tomorrow?
—
Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2023
The vicissitudes of a placid adulthood: a dinner that tastes good, but not great; a film that entertains but doesn’t transport.
—Hazlitt, 4 May 2022
During the past 20 years, the newsroom has been hit with pay cuts, layoffs and furloughs on an almost yearly basis as the company attempts to respond to both the economy and the vicissitudes of an industry in constant flux.
—John D'anna, azcentral, 19 May 2020
People who pay attention to the vicissitudes of Tesla CEO Elon Musk know that the man is not always serious on Twitter.
—Aarian Marshall, Wired, 10 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2023
The vicissitudes of a placid adulthood: a dinner that tastes good, but not great; a film that entertains but doesn’t transport.
—Hazlitt, 4 May 2022
During the past 20 years, the newsroom has been hit with pay cuts, layoffs and furloughs on an almost yearly basis as the company attempts to respond to both the economy and the vicissitudes of an industry in constant flux.
—John D'anna, azcentral, 19 May 2020
People who pay attention to the vicissitudes of Tesla CEO Elon Musk know that the man is not always serious on Twitter.
—Aarian Marshall, Wired, 10 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
Noun
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Ultimately, the hotel did not profit from the ordeal after compensation was eventually given to those affected, investigators found.—
Ryan Cormier,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Fatal Attraction — about a married man (Michael Douglas) whose one-night affair with a woman (Close) turns into a dangerous ordeal — earned six Oscar nominations upon its initial release, including one for Close's performance and another for Best Picture.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The divisional gauntlet continues with the Bengals twice and the Steelers once over the next five weeks.—
Hannah Vanbiber,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
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The trail through this passage is narrow and lined with signature desert plants — which is to say my path became a gauntlet of tiny, stabbing swords.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Circumstances favoured them, but Bowen’s early misfortune and a West Ham penalty award which was overturned by VAR scarcely influenced them.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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Several reasons were to blame for the scary-low turnout, including a dearth of new releases as well as the misfortune of Halloween landing on a Friday, which meant families were distracted by trick-or-treating.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Each comes to understand that the rules that prevailed during calmer times no longer hold, that to cling to them is to willingly accept privation and defeat.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
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Diaries kept by Eugenia Zieber describe the privations of the trail, chief among them the frequent deaths of fellow travelers.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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