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.
Related Words
Relevance
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
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
The vicissitudes of history always challenge us in new and often confounding ways; that’s in the nature of things.
—Jon Meacham, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
All of the biggest corporate mergers, the deals that determine the vicissitudes of our global markets, happen within their walls.
—Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 30 Mar. 2020
Sport is usually a constant -- a field, court, track or course that is resistant to the vicissitudes of the world around us.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Aarian Marshall, Wired, 10 May 2020
The vicissitudes of history always challenge us in new and often confounding ways; that’s in the nature of things.
—Jon Meacham, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020
All of the biggest corporate mergers, the deals that determine the vicissitudes of our global markets, happen within their walls.
—Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 30 Mar. 2020
Sport is usually a constant -- a field, court, track or course that is resistant to the vicissitudes of the world around us.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for vicissitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitude
Noun
-
Thankfully, Midas is now fully recovered from his gassy ordeal, and is back to his usual self, running around the house and enjoying life.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
-
Then, two weeks into my pre-op ordeal, a teenaged redhead came into my room.—
Noor Hassan,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
Ninja Gaiden Photo: Courtesy of Nintendo The ’80s were the golden age for video-game difficulty, and the NES boasted an oppressive gauntlet of Battletoads, Contra, and the early Mega Man games.—
Luke Winkie,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
-
As the morning trickled on, fans lined up in a gauntlet outside the bar, hopefully keeping watch for golf carts from Las Olas Isles.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
However, the newlywed hopes that even if his money is never returned, his misfortune can serve as a warning for others.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
19 June 2025
-
Drake is getting candid about his recent gambling misfortunes.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
The policy, while inevitably controversial, was meant to correct for the nearly fifty years of brutal privations that Black South Africans endured under apartheid.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
1 June 2025
-
But whereas the first generation of Chinese entrepreneurs grew up poor and were happy to wring a livelihood from cheap imitations, today’s tech graduates were spared the privations of their parents and yearn for something more meaningful.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitude. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share