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
  • Teen details horrific ordeal Duarte met the 15-year-old when the girl was taking a stroll with her dog near a pool at the hotel, according to Duarte’s arrest report.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Shepard and Padman revisited the controversy after their guest of the day, Pluribus star Rhea Seehorn, had already signed off, allowing the actor to delve deep into his feelings about the whole ordeal.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of ordeal
Noun
  • Because after that comes the five-week gauntlet starting at Buffalo (7-1), at the Los Angeles Rams (5-4) and at Cincinnati (6-2) before home games against the Patriots (5-4) and San Francisco (7-1).
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2026
  • The harbor is a gauntlet of crab houses on stilts, although locals say most are now unused and some sit in obvious disrepair.
    — John Anglim, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of gauntlet
Noun
  • In her misfortune, the feisty raccoon was actually incredibly lucky.
    — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2026
  • There's also the age-old custom of burning a Yule log, traditionally associated with good fortune and protection from misfortune.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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