as in ordeals
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 vicissitudes
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 Kino Babylon, opened in 1929 and still going strong despite vicissitudes, is an appropriate venue for Guadalajara’s 40th anniversary showcase.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
The family drama is underpinned by the vicissitudes inherent in moviemaking.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2026
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
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Mere knick-knacks, which have all disappeared with the vicissitudes of years.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
But Hynes details life’s vicissitudes with poetic exactitude.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
The Kino Babylon, opened in 1929 and still going strong despite vicissitudes, is an appropriate venue for Guadalajara’s 40th anniversary showcase.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
The family drama is underpinned by the vicissitudes inherent in moviemaking.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Jan. 2026
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
Renaissance has prided itself on a debt-free history, despite the vicissitudes of performing arts fundraising.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Mere knick-knacks, which have all disappeared with the vicissitudes of years.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
But Hynes details life’s vicissitudes with poetic exactitude.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vicissitudes
Noun
-
The medical ordeals are traumatic and disgusting, but fascinating and full of the quirks of modern life.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Both women survived, but are still reeling from ordeals that have drawn national attention — in part, because they were captured on video and shared on social media.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The journey is hampered by lack of money and other misfortunes, and it’s eventually interrupted by a gunshot, announcing the cantankerous presence of Tiga.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The 33-year-old politician believes that the series illustrates a broader current issue, caused by the resurgence of public interest in the Kennedy clan and its misfortunes.—
Séraphine Roger,
Vanity Fair,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But Fritz has been having a bit of a wander in the desert lately due to his physical challenges.—
Douglas Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Despite these challenges, the verification system continued functioning throughout the entire flight, proving that blockchain technology can reliably operate on lightweight onboard hardware used in autonomous aerial vehicles.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are characters preserving cultural traditions, grappling with intergenerational trauma, and practicing subsistence hunting and fishing, while also navigating relationship troubles and leaning on the strong support systems that get us through it all.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Mar. 2026
-
During the many years that the state’s finances were a mess, some legislative leaders saw money troubles as an excuse to weaken the FOIC.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
At seventy, Padura is a voice of a generation that endured a long war in Angola and the privations that followed the Soviet collapse.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vicissitudes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vicissitudes. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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